


Dragon at Dusk (Canceled)

by orphan_account



Category: Original Work
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Dragon person, Fluff, Human/Monster Romance, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Injury Recovery, M/M, Self-Harm, Semi-graphic gore but tagged just incase, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Trans Male Character, dragon - Freeform, two complete and utter booboo the fool type men and a girl that actually has brain cells, will tag as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:15:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 69,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25308844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: ((THIS STORY HAS BEEN CANCELED/DISCONTINUED))
Relationships: Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 19





	1. Crash and Burn

**Author's Note:**

> Hi I'm super weak for the "human finds injured semihuman and nurses them back to health" trope and also I'm just super, super gay. No Beta We Die Like The Disasters We Are so I apologize if I miss any hiccups in the writing, if I spot them later I'll try to fix it! I'm not sure exactly what schedule I'll update on, or exactly how long this will end up being, but I have a vague idea of plot and will fill it in as I go. This is incredibly self indulgent. This is also going to eventually cover some darker themes, but when I reach them i will give warning tags ahead of time, and update the fic tags as well. I'll try to section things off in a way when i get there that the themes can be skipped as a chapter, and be summarized more gently at the start of the next so it doesn't leave too big of a blank in the story.

Strawberry sunset rays dusted spring leaves, tender new growth soaking in the warmth like lifeblood while Ace methodically stepped over roots and between sprouting undergrowth. The air was soft, it carried the smells of new life and the sounds of the world waking from it's winter slumber, and despite still being able to see his breath against the warm light, he hardly felt the chill thanks to his thick leather jacket and only somewhat scuffed jeans. He loved his evening walks through the untouched parts of the world, alone with the teeming lands and able to let his thoughts run freely. It was the best way to clear his head, to get some fresh air, get away from the bustle of his daily life, ease up his nerves and get some exercise. Sure, he could wind down with a drink at the end of his shift at the tavern, but he tried to save that for when he really needed it, this was a lot better for him.

  
He enjoyed just taking in the sounds of life settling down for the evening - the chirps and chitters calling family home to bed, the soft rustling of branches as the breeze coaxed one last dance out of the trees for the night, the faint crackling of the river a ways out. He took this trail enough times to have worn a thin, snaking pathway around trees, through ivy and fern, from the humble town to the river and alongside it like an old friend, the wordless journey taking him past the forest edge and at the outskirts of the heart of the untamed wild. He always wondered what lay farther out, but never found himself with the time to make the trek. He was only one man on foot, he lacked a steed to carry his weight or the time to camp out and really explore - the tavern counted on their favorite host to throw together food and drink for the locals and entice travelers to stay just another night. He would have to take a vacation one of these days, really get out there and have himself a camping trip. He felt at home out here.

  
Ace followed the river down to his favorite spot, pulling himself up onto the sturdy old willow that craned over the water as it bubbled down a short drop-off into a little lake, and back on it's way. It wasn't the tallest tree around, but it was comfortable, and it gave him a nice view of the sun nestling down for a well deserved rest after another hard day's work, and he felt sheltered enough that should someone pass by, he wouldn't stick out like a sore thumb - though no one else ever crossed this way, it was like his own little secret haven. Truth be told, he often dreamt of running away from it all, stashing his bag up in the crook of the faithful willow's branches, picking it up at midnight and making his break for it. But this was just a daydream - he had nothing to really run away from, he liked the townsfolk, he liked his job, he loved his sister - well, informal sister. Marie had been his friend of at least a decade, and they moved out here together to escape the stress of more dense city life. He liked sharing his space with her, they kept each other good company, and she was a damn pleasant coworker at that. He ran the bar single-handedly, but she waited the tables and helped him in the kitchen when it got a little too busy for him to deal with alone, and she was never afraid to mouth off to the drunken creeps or the uppity travelers who were just a little too entitled. He'd have her back if she needed it, but she never needed it, she was polite but sure knew how to lay down the law.

  
He found himself smiling - yeah, he could never run away from here, he was pretty happy. It was no perfect world, but he had what he needed, and while it was a little redundant, it was steady enough that he could relax. But.. he still wished something would rock the boat once in a while, give him something to do.

  
Ace looked up when motion caught his eye overhead, not far out, a shooting star? How quaint in it's timing, he thought to himself. He leaned back on the sturdy trunk of the willow, folding his arms behind his neck and watching it.. sort of fumble across the sky. That was unusual. He'd seen a shooting star or two in his time, the skies were clear and he spent many an evening out here stargazing, but they were never this slow, this wobbly. It rose and fell like a faltering heartbeat, and it fizzled and flickered, and it.. wasn't quite the right color. It was much darker than the other little freckles of the night, too, an off shade of fuzzy violet compared to the off-white pinks and blues he was accustomed to. Ace sat himself up a little straighter, squinting at the star as it flickered dimmer and dimmer, and then.. Another star? But this one rose high, it was much brighter, faster. This was getting really, really weird, and he was pretty sure he was as sober as could be.

  
With a nearly blinding flash, something bright tore through the dark sky the sun had so gently tucked itself under, and collided with the purplish glow with an unsettling crack. Ace shielded his eyes, blinking and squinting a little awkwardly, this was.. not normal. When his eyes re-adjusted to the dark, he scanned the sky, seeing little. Just as he propped himself up to stand on his branch, he heard a rumbling crash through the trees a ways out, branches shattering unceremoniously like a tree had suddenly fallen.. or several. He could hardly see that far out, but he heard it well enough to pick out the rough direction.

  
He stopped himself as he hopped down from his tree without a thought - it's late, he should be going home, he has to work early in the morning, it's dangerous far from town at this hour, all he has on him is his knife. He tried to talk himself out of his curiosity, and nearly succeeded - Marie works the night shift tonight, she wouldn't know if something happened to him until tomorrow - when he swore he heard a weak, but piercing cry. That was unlike any animal he'd heard out here before, that sounded.. almost human. It sounded pained. When he pried his head out of his thoughts, he was already ankle deep in the shallow river, shoving his way across with a forceful splash in his step in the direction of the noise. So much for being safe and going home at a reasonable hour.

  
_Alright, I'll go take a look, but then straight home._ He told himself, trying to rationalize and bargain with his own innate curiosity. _It sounded like a person, so if i don't go, I'm being irresponsible for leaving someone potentially stranded._ He nodded contently as he shoved through unfamiliar trees, stumbling over unknown rocks and dips in the ground, praying to whatever might listen that he doesn't end up twisting his ankle out here off the trail he knows and beyond the limits the townsfolk would want to search when he comes up missing. Branches lashed at his face and his clothes, brambles he couldn't see snagged at him, rocks threatened to break his toes as he stepped into them just a little too hard and thanked his past self for deciding steel toe boots were the shoe choice that met all his aesthetic needs. He pressed on, the forest so uncomfortably silent now aside from his own crashing so ungracefully and his heart picking up in his ears. The forest is only silent when it's dangerous. But he couldn't turn back now.

  
Ace cocked his head and skidded a little in his tracks when he heard what he swore was a groan that, though quiet, broke the silence. That was close by! He surely could pick up whoever was out here and take them back to town, where they would both be safe. He glanced skyward, noting the distant moon - he had gone mostly straight, and if he followed the moon back, he could at least find the river and his trail home from there, this was good, he wasn't lost. His thoughts were interrupted by a quieter groan this time, almost a whine. He shoved his way around a few more trees, through just one more bramble bush, and found himself facing a clearing. A very fresh clearing, trees torn through in a fairly ragged, but straight line. He squinted a little to adjust his vision, brushing his blonde hair out of his eyes. The clearing stopped pretty abruptly, and he swore he saw a glint of moonlight reflecting off something just past the edge of the shadows. Then he heard that tiny pained whine again.

  
Rushing forward, he could make out a humanoid shape, this must be who he was hearing. He dropped to a knee beside them, trying to size up head from feet, and followed his eyes back to the faint glint of light. Teeth, he was seeing teeth, their mouth was a little open. He blinked a few times, those were.. very sharp looking teeth. Lighting sure does make things look strange. He tilted his head, having at least determined up from down, and spoke a little softly, though a little out of breath from his sprint through the dark.

  
"Hey, you okay?"

  
He heard no words in response, but a weak, labored heave of a breath. He bit his lip a little, making the judgement call that they might be injured, so he was gonna have to jump past the pleasantries and just get them on their way. He leaned forward, scooping a hand under what he estimated to be shoulders, and drew back quickly when he felt something sharp, several somethings sharp. Not enough to cut, but absolutely enough to startle and prick his fingertips when he pushed them. He cursed the brambles, and weaseled his hand a little more carefully this time, wincing when he couldn't dodge the sensation, they must be full of thorns. His other hand slipped under their legs, with similar struggle, but he was at least expecting it this time and successfully hoisted the figure up with a shove of his legs. They felt.. a little heavier than he expected for their size, but he was reminded he had little time to dally on his thoughts when the body in his arms rattled with another shaky breath. He took his first step into the moonlight, and his heart jolted with a startle.

  
This wasn't a human. This was.. humanoid, but no human. He couldn't see a lot of detail, but he saw a pair of leathery, tattered wings silhouetted off the person's back, just below where his hand clutched their shoulder, and a near serpentine tail hanging off their rear, dragging the ground with it's tip. He swore those were scales glistening in the moonlight along that tail, dotting and prickling along their legs and on their shoulders - those were definitely not bramble thorns. He looked back to their teeth, which were absolutely more carnivorous than a human's, though if he paid no mind to the distinct points they looked similar enough to his own. Dark scales peppered the person's face, and what looked to be small horns reared out of the crown of their head from under their hair. Ace caught his mind racing again - is he completely out of his mind? Is this a demon? Did he just pick up a demon off the ground in the middle of the woods? This is absurd, he's gotta be dreaming-

  
The scaled man choked out the smallest whimper of pain as Ace found himself clutching them just a little too tightly. Ace stayed very still for a moment, trying to steady his heartbeat, collect himself, evaluate. Dream or no dream, he wasn't going to risk it, this strange someone pretty clearly came crashing down here, and was unconscious. He couldn't see it, but the smell of blood and the faint char of flesh told him they were definitely injured. He swallowed his fear and his thoughts back, and began his move. He would figure out what he was doing later, when timeliness was less imperative.

  
Ace looked up once more the guiding moon, silently thanking her for being his beacon, and leaned up on a tree so he could readjust his hold. With his back to the wood, he picked up a knee to hold the figure's lower back for a moment, silently apologizing as they choked out a little hiss, picking up that tail with their legs and then readjusting his hold against their back to bring their wings more folded in, so they wouldn't drag the ground or get snagged in the bushes as he did his best to somewhat clumsily navigate the unsteady terrain. He walked more deliberately on the way back, still a little lost on his exact pathway, but no longer being able to afford the risk of tripping or running into things. He felt a relieved exhale slip out his nose as he could more clearly hear the river, so reliably gurgling to him directions home.

  
He stepped back into the water with a softer splish, furrowing his brow with a little worry as the figure in his arms took another shaky, rattled breath between otherwise shallow inhales and raspy exhales.

  
"Hang in there, pal, we're almost there."

  
His voice was still quiet, but he softened it with the most reassurance he could muster, though he assumed that the man he carried couldn't hear him either way. Maybe it was just reassurance for himself. He tried to ease himself as he stepped back onto dry, familiar land, and was able to pick up his pace, trusting his trail as one he practically knew like the back of his own hand by now, day or night. It wasn't made easy by the forest still being so quiet, or that distant, but not-so-distant rumbling he told himself he wasn't hearing a ways behind him. He admittedly scurried like a child turning off their light and scrambling to make it to the safety of their bed before the monsters got ahold of them, weaving much more skillfully through the trees he knew and finally to the edge of the foliage, where he hit home ground.

  
Town was always quiet by now, everyone went to bed at sunset. It wasn't a rule or anything, but a pretty common preference and habit, outside of himself and maybe Marie, though she was less preference and more requirement because of her usual night shift. Lights were all out, but he knew the pathway home just fine, and within a minute found himself fumbling for his keys and trying to not shift the poor creature in his arms too much, who winced and hissed at the shuffle. Once he got key in lock and twisted his front door open, he didn't bother shutting it behind himself just yet and made a beeline through the main room, around the small hall corner and into his bedroom. He could worry about the front door in a minute - there was no worry of someone breaking in, only of a concerned neighbor making sure he was alright if he left it open and unattended too long.

  
Ace steadied his own weight as he gently leaned over to set the person on his bed, the weight coming off his shoulders as his adrenaline dipped and he realized how much effort he'd just output, and how tiresome it was. He sighed hard, heading back out of his room to retrieve his keys from the door and shut it, locking it behind him. He turned to his kitchen on his right, snatching a glass from the cupboard and hitting up the sink faucet to get himself some water, the dryness of his throat scratching a little as his fatigue caught up to him. With hydration out of the way, he refilled the glass and brought it with him back to his room, hesitantly flipping the light-switch to the small lamp at the door, and holding himself steady with a hand on the door-frame as the sight in front of him truly set in.

  
He just brought home something very, very not human.

  
He swallowed, the parch in his throat still softening, and took a shaky step, the next more steady as he pulled himself together and closed his door, locking it behind him for good measure. He set the glass on his bedside nightstand, standing back a little with a fingers to his forehead in bewilderment.

  
The man before him - he assumed man, at least - was for sure humanoid. His skin was a sickly, ashy pale, freckled with brown sugar speckles along his cheeks and his arms, and along his neck. Just the same, he was thickly peppered in dark, nearly black scales, a deep violet where the light hit them, his fingers bore claws rather than nails, his fangs peered down past the boundary line of his upper lip, his ears were pointed and a notable bit longer than Ace's. His hair a deep cocoa, a pair of violet horns more visibly pointed atop his head now in the light than before, though one appeared cracked and chipped at the end, a small chunk was missing. Ace winced, he could only picture missing a piece, and he felt his stomach turn as he sized up the damage. The creature's wings looked like shredded, burnt paper at the edges, receded pretty far up the bony frame, stained with dark crimson blood and the dirt that was wedged in from the forest alongside other debris. The tail was lined with those dark scales, though it looked like a fish half prepared for a filet - missing patches messily all over, exposed and raw flesh underneath in some places. Some patches were in jagged lines, others looked more like large perforated rings. A line of off white spikes ran down the back of the tail, little spines curling down from their base on either side almost like clamps to hold them in place. Some were more intact than others, Ace noted, and found himself wincing again with a little inward hiss at the exposed bone at the end of the tail, where it looked like the last inch of flesh at the narrow point had been torn right off. The worst wound was over his chest, a harsh gash that tore from what Ace assumed to be just below his waistline as it tapered off near the edge of a tattered wrap around the man's hips, all the way twisted up to just along the lower side of his collarbone, narrowly missing his neck. Other than that, most of the lacerations and abrasions looked.. manageable, but Ace had his work cut out for him here.

  
"Don't let go in there, pal, I've got you." He mumbled, taking a breath to steady his wooziness from the sight of blood still idly trickling out of wounds, not having noticed the red stains on his shirt and along his arms until now, and made a quick line for the restroom that connected his and Marie's rooms. He dove under the bathroom sink, shoving the armful that was their first aid kit under one arm and snatching the box of gauze pads with his other hand. He would have to refill the stash tomorrow. He made his way back, making a note to lock that door behind him too. Not that he didn't trust Marie, but he was gonna have to explain this one to her before she saw it.

  
He knelt himself beside his bed, apologizing quietly for the incoming sting as he got to work on the wounds, starting with the biggest one. Alcohol wipes burned like hell, but it would get the job done, and the last thing this guy was gonna need was an infection. The man's eyes flickered open for a moment as he hissed inwardly at the sharp pain, and Ace tried to ignore the creeping fear that ran up the back of his neck as he swore he saw only the black void behind those eyelids, but they fell shut again just as fast, and he sighed in relief. He wasn't sure exactly what he was afraid of, maybe just the unknown.

  
As he cleaned, he carefully squeezed a little antibiotic ointment onto the tips of a couple fingers, dabbing little dots down the injuries, then carefully smoothing them out along in a line, giving it a moment while he arranged the gauze and secured it down with a little medical tape. It wouldn't be the most comfortable job in the world, but it would do. He didn't worry too much about putting ointment on any of the smaller scratches, he didn't have an unlimited supply and was gonna need it for the big tear lines down that tail, what looked like a bite mark on his thigh, and if any was left, on those poor wings. He worked methodically - wipe down, ointment, gauze and bandage - on each of the larger wounds of the tail, hesitating a little over the man's thigh, but pushing aside his bit of embarrassment and continuing. It was a little awkward, he would have preferred to make sure it was okay, but he was just tending an injury and didn't think it would be a good idea to try to force them awake just to ask first. He could explain himself later, and apologize however necessary. The hissing and the whining was quiet, but it got a little quieter with each wound, and Ace hoped that meant that it hurt a little less, and not that they were fading farther. He felt his kneecaps ache a little from supporting his weight so long by the time he was ready to get to the wings, and his spine creak from being hunched over for.. how long had it been? His eyes flicked up to his clock - it was about 2am. Alright, he had been out in the woods at sunset, around 9pm, and he guessed he got back around 11 or 12 at the latest, so it had definitely been a couple hours.

  
He pushed himself off the ground, stretching and twisting his back to give it a good pop, shaking out his knees and trying to push off the head rush from getting up too fast. Almost done, then he could worry about something to eat, and trying to get a few hours of shut-eye in before he had to get in gear and get to work. It was never too busy in the early hours, at least, so he'd have some time to get coffee in his system and get in the groove, and the afternoon shift would be in by the time it picked up, so he wouldn't have to carry himself alone. The man's face twisted in a pained frown, and Ace felt a little pang of guilt for having trailed off again before at least finishing up. He wasn't sure where to start with those wings - they were a mess. For the time being, he decided the best he could do was try to wipe off the edges, and maybe he could convince this guy to use the shower once he woke up and rinse the things off, it would give him a better idea where the injuries started and ended. He touched at the border line of the webbing, and flinched back when the man yelped a feeble cry, his gaze shooting back to their face, and his shoulders easing a little when he saw they were still unconscious. He reached back, gentler this time, and though they whined and whimpered, he was able to at least clean off the bloody outline, smearing the last of the ointment he had along it in hopes it would at least get the process started and discourage an infection. He had a feeling he couldn't drag this guy to the doctor so easy.

  
Ace wiped the last little bit of ointment and blood off on the side of his jeans, rolling his shoulder to loosen up the tension from holding his hand so steady and deliberate for so long, and nudged the first aid and remaining bandaging under the edge of the bed. That was gonna have to do for tonight, at least until he could pick up something more to work with. He didn't even want to bother, but he picked himself out a clean shirt and some pajama pants and stumbled into the bathroom to change before he plopped himself down in his semi-comfortable chair by his little book-stand and his lamp, flipping it off and letting his exhaustion take him out of the waking world for just a few hours at least.

  
The man was still out cold when he awoke the next morning to the muffled buzz of his phone alarm on his bookshelf. He grimaced at how dearly he wanted to go back to sleep himself, but shuffled himself dressed and out the door. His stomach growled on the way to the tavern, he never fed himself last night, ugh.

  
\--------------------

  
Ace slunk in through the front door, tired and still sore from his scamper in the woods the night before. Marie was back at the tavern, so he had the house to himself - well, mostly. Thankfully, when he showed up to work still scuffed up from his run in with mother nature, the worst he got was concern, and he was able to assure everyone he just tripped on his way back from his evening walk and he would be fine. It was a little busier than he would have liked, but it passed the time.

  
He shuffled off his coat as he entered his room, hanging it over the back of his chair as he glanced up at the man on his bed. He had a hell of a lot of questions, that was for sure, but he was gonna have to take it slow, he knew he wouldn't be too keen on giving a verbal essay the minute he woke up from being that torn up. But he was at least gonna ask him what the hell he even was, that seemed like a reasonable enough question. Ace went to the restroom to wash up his face, the day's eye-shadow a little rough on the edges now and his mascara clumped uncomfortably on his lashes. At least it covered up how exhausted he was pretty well, and it would do the same tomorrow, as it did every day. He was real bad about the idea of a consistent amount of sleep.

  
He tried to shuffle his way quietly back through his room, glancing over his shoulder at the scaled man on his bed. He couldn't deny that he thought he was very.. pretty, even in this injured state. His scales looked scuffed and his skin was crawling with a sore redness, but.. he was still something to look at, for sure.

  
He made himself some quick dinner, though he'd admittedly snacked on the job throughout the day already. A quick sandwich would do, anything was better than skipping dinner again. As he sat himself at the kitchen island that divided the tile from the living room, he cocked his head, swearing he heard a whine again. He waited, but heard only more silence, and got back to his food, trying not to worry too much, but his mind dwelling passively regardless.

_Did I die?_

  
The scaled man's eyes didn't yet want to open, when he cracked his lids he felt the sting of light burn a line into his sight despite how swiftly he sealed them again. His body ached. His chest struggled with every rise of breath, he felt like he was swallowing shards of glass, his head throbbed, his skin felt so cold, but his wings, oh how horribly his wings burned. They burned with the fury of the almighty one scorned.

  
He tried to gather himself. Everything hurt. He surely must have died, why else would he be wrapped in a cloud so soft, surrounded by light, in such unfamiliar scents and sounds. This absolutely wasn't the forest. He couldn't be in heaven, but this couldn't be hell either. It was so cold, but it smelled a little dusty, a little warm, a little like food. It was so quiet, like a forest fallen fearful, but without the icy tension. He was on something so soft, but he hurt so badly - this must be purgatory. Or perhaps the afterlife was nothing like what he'd been led to expect. He must be dead, though, after all that..

  
The man felt his nerves tense with a sound of footsteps. They were light, but approaching. Was this the maker? Was this the taker? Would whatever they had in store hurt more? He couldn't imagine even more pain, he didn't want to. He bit his forked tongue back, and tried to not panic, though his quivering heartbeat was a dead giveaway in his ears to his fear.

  
Ace stepped back into his room, wiping the corner of his mouth on his shoulder sleeve, and running his fingers through his hair, the unkempt length waving down in unceremonious tangles down his back. He plopped into his chair again, sighing, and looking the scaled one over with a little concern.

  
"I hope you're doin' alright, pal."

  
He swore he saw the man flinch. He leaned on the arm of his chair as he started to study for signs of life, when the man spoke up, hoarsely and like his lungs were dusted in sand.

  
"Are you the taker?"

  
Ace froze a little, and watched the man cautiously. They gasped quick, small breaths, and their shoulders trembled somewhat, claws weakly gripping at the blanket under them. Ace tried to steady his own nerves, softening his tone. Nevermind the fact that this guy spoke his language, he could get to that later.

  
"...No, I don't know who that is. Name's Ace. I'm uh.. relieved to see you're awake, you're pretty worse for wear."

  
The man on his bed seemed to hesitate a little, and weakly flicked an ear.

  
"Am.. Am I still alive, then?"

  
Ace offered a little smile, though the man couldn't see it. He thought he would be the one asking the questions, but it was turning out the opposite.

  
"Thankfully, yeah. I'm glad I found you when I did, I dunno how much longer you would have lasted out there by yourself."

  
Ace watched with a little too much interest as that mouth curled to a smile, showing a little more of those fangs as it did so, but quickly shot back to a frown as he winced in pain from a breath too deep.

  
"Not today, then, dear taker. Just what kind of dragon are you, Ace? You don't smell familiar at all."

  
Ace caught his words in his throat a little. Dragon? Actually, looking over him again, it.. made sense. The scales, the horns, the teeth. Guess he didn't have to ask.

  
"Uh.. I'm not, actually."

  
The man paused a little, furrowing his brow in thought and at the stings, and flicked the tips of his tongue out momentarily to taste the air. He seemed a little lost for words, and Ace shifted his weight a little uncomfortably.

  
"Alright, I'll bite. What's your blood?"

  
Ace paused, and could only make an assumption that he was asking what he was. He found himself a little hesitant, but got his words out either way.

  
"I'm uh.. human?"

  
The dragon didn't respond at first, but then a noise Ace could only assume was a coughed laughter chuckled itself out.

  
"Look, I'm all for jokes, but don't make me laugh, my chest hurts like hell already. Say, are we anytime near sundown? It's.. way, way too bright for my liking still."

  
Ace bit his lip, unsure how to feel, but reached for his light, turning it off, much to the surprise of the dragon, who seemed to stir a little in adjustment, wriggling a little against the pillows he was propped up by, biting back the pain from the motion. His eyelids cautiously lifted a sliver at first, then blinked open, pitch black eyes with bright violet irises staring forward at the wall for a moment before scanning the room, stopping quickly on Ace. He offered a somewhat nervous, but friendly smile and a little wave, and was repaid with a low, rising growl in return.


	2. Two humans are worse than one.

He offered kindness, and was given a bone chilling growl in return.

Ace felt a cold sweat start to creep over his skin as the dragon's eyes bore into his soul, growl raising as his lips drew back slowly, pupils thin as a hair with a wild shiver and shoulder scales rattling as they quivered. The dragon man clenched his fists, and started to shove himself upright, Ace's eyes widening a little and pushing himself back in his chair with fear - quickly turned concern as the dragon choked on his voice and buckled over in pain, yelping sharply at the pull of his wounds, fighting to muster even a high pitched growl through his whimpers. Ace knew he was being pretty clearly threatened, but that didn't stop him from wanting to help.

He rose to his feet, trying to not be too pushed back by the hissing rattle in the dragon's throat that sputtered between his coughs and whines through gritted teeth, and held his hands up cautiously in a harmless gesture.

"Hey, hey, cool it, I'm not gonna hurt ya, but you might not wanna move so fast yet, man.."

The dragon bristled, sharp pain pricking tears at his eyes that he refused to let bloom. This was bad, he needed to get out of here, but it hurt so bad, it hurt to move, it hurt to breathe, he felt so helpless, but almighty one knows he's not going to fall whimpering and crying like a hatchling. He's teeth and claws to the end, and one on one? A human should stand no chance, injuries or no injuries. As the human took a step closer, he bit his tongue through his pain and rumbled another deep growl, taking a little satisfaction in the look of fear he earned that flashed through those strikingly.. cobalt eyes. He took a little too much delight in it, but he swore to himself it was his pride in his superiority. Ace took a half step back, but remained politely firm and as calm as he could muster. The dragon may sound like he's ready to throw down, but he's still injured, and he can barely move, so he can't be that much of a threat.. yet. Who knows what enough adrenaline or time will turn him into.

"Look, I know you're scared-"

The dragon cut him off with another rumble, eyes narrowing as his chest heaved with the effort of staying even somewhat upright, the growls starting to ache like a sore muscle overused, despite how little he'd exerted himself.

"Bold and foolish to assume I fear you."

Ace groaned a little, getting just a little frustrated, but holding it back for the sake of keeping what little fraction of peace he had a grasp on here. He waited for the dragon to finish his little snarl, and caught him between shaky breaths.

"I get that you're probably at least a little confused, but if you'll just slow down and talk for a minute, we can get on the same page here."

The dragon glared him down, but when he tried to growl again, the ache spiked to a sharp stab, and his voice cracked out in a yelped cough. He huffed a little, ears cocked back with hate in his gaze.

"I'm not here to talk."

Ace let an eye roll slip, crossing his arms loosely and leaning back down into his chair, now more confident that he wasn't going to have to worry about being lunged at for the time being as long as he didn't push too hard. For someone who just had their life saved, he sure had a bad attitude.

"You're right, you're here to recover, because you're lucky to even be alive right now."

Ace paid no mind to the irritation that dripped from the next huff that grumbled out of his unlikely house guest. If he wanted to be this way, so be it. Ace could be this way too. He'd had his own long couple of days, and didn't need the snark right now. The dragon brought his ears a little more relaxed, but flattened low as the human looked up at the clock. It was late, and while he'd normally want to at least go out for a stroll, Ace just wanted some sleep right now, and he knew there was no way he was getting it over the noise of an oversized hissy lizard.

"I don't know what happened to you, but I found your sorry tail knocked out and speed-dialing the reaper out there last night, and I ain't a man to leave someone to die like that. Can you at least quit lookin at me like I'm the one that handed your butt to you?"

The dragon's gaze did not soften, nor did his tension ease. He needed an escape plan, this man found him in a vulnerable state and decided to hold him hostage in what he could only assume was his den - he had never seen or smelled a human before, truth be told, but he had been told enough stories to know what to look for - and now he's acting like he's entitled to even a shred of his respect for it. As much as it ached, he bit back the sting of motion and let his little tattered wings bristle as his remaining tail scales rattled out his warning to stay back, Ace swinging his legs over the arm of his chair to get a little more comfortable.

"I don't know, or care what kind of man you are. You kidnapped me."

Ace paused a little, now at least understanding why they were so snappy, even if he still felt like he did the right thing on his side, the dragon doesn't know that. He can only imagine what got them in this state, they're probably scared even if they won't admit it, and they're in a stranger's home - he would be pretty freaked out, too. That in mind, he softened back up his tone and uncrossed his arms.

"Ya know what, I get it - I think we're kinda gettin off on the wrong foot here. I ain't holdin you hostage, you're uh, free to go whenever you feel like."

The dragon's tail tip twitched, lifted up just enough to avoid scraping the sensitive injury over fabric. He cocked his head to the side, skeptical and distrusting. That attitude shifted just a little too easily, and he knew humans were excellent liars. Dragons were easy to see through, their body betrayed their emotions all too quickly with the tilt of an ear or the impatient wiggle of a tail, but humans lacked such outward emotion, they were so dull and flat and had far too much control over their voices, you couldn't trust a thing they said or a motion they made.

Ace knew when he was being sized up, and motioned at the bedroom door, shrugging a shoulder a little. The dragon stared hard, was he being taunted? He could barely sit up, standing felt entirely out of the question, and he was in human lands. There was no one here to help him, he was alone. He needed to plan his actions carefully. He couldn't admit just how much pain he was in, and how immobile he was - weakness was a dangerous weapon that could be used against him. But.. if he's in the den of snakes, he can pull his own sly tricks, too.

"You really think I can be flying home like this?"

He cringed at the sting as he wiggled one of his wings a little at the base, showcasing just how torn up the fringe was. Ace looked it over, recalling he still hadn't gotten to really treat the injuries, and nodded, swinging his legs to sit back upright and idly twirling a lock of hair in thought.

"Yeah, you uh, make a point. I was gonna ask Marie if she thinks they'll heal up okay, she's better with animals than I am."

The Dragon grimaced, ears back again with teeth bared.

"I'm no animal. And who is that? Is she who you're planning to trade me off to? I'll have you know that flightless or not I'm still thrice the dragon I'd need to be to tear you all to shreds."

Ace furrowed his brow, hunching over with his palm on his cheek. This was gonna take a lot of talking, and he was gonna have to take it slow, because this dragon's attitude felt like it took a half step back every time he thought they took a step forward. And while his threats weren't a lot to worry about now, he couldn't help but worry about how they would hold up later, when he was recovered.

"Okay, sorry, things.. not human. I'm not used to the idea of a uh, dragon person. But.. No, she's like a sister to me. Nobody's trading you off."

The dragon, still distrustful, picked his legs up closer to his chest, hissing at the burn in his bitten thigh. His clawed toes curled, offering him just a little stability against his own trembling muscles, and his tongue flicked again, tasting the air. He would normally be able to pick up chemical communications like this, but humans gave off so little that he could understand, he couldn't tell a single thought apart from another. Ace knew how to read folks, and even if the dragon's words said he was ready to start a fight, his body betrayed that he was afraid.

"What do I gotta do for you to believe me?"

The dragon huffed, knees pulled up a little more snug.

"You can't. Lies are the human's natural tongue."

Ace sighed, trying to come up with a game plan. The guy clearly stil needed help and wouldn't admit it. Ace wasn't going to force it on him, either, so he needed to come up with the right way to offer and not get shot down with even more snarl. He said he didn't want to talk, but he seemed to talk just fine if it wasn't called to attention, so maybe he just needed to work it into conversation. He can work with that. If he could handle running a conversation with a patron at the tavern just a few too many drinks in for the night, he could handle talking to a fussy lizard.

"That reminds me, you uh, speak my language. I kinda wasn't expecting it."

The dragon rolled his eyes. What a fool he was dealing with, an attention span shorter than his feeble little teeth.

"I speak commontongue. Most folks do, humans are the only ones who don't bother to learn anything else."

Ace nodded, holding back the smug grin that wanted to curl his lips at his success in changing the subject so fluidly. He idly twirled his long, sideswept bangs as he stole a glance at the dragon's eyes, the dark void alluring in a strange way.

"I've never known anyone myself who could teach me. Say, I don't think i caught your name."

The dragon's tail rattled again, though less aggressively than before, and he held his stare firmly. Ace adjusted quickly, no longer even unnerved outwardly by the intimidation tactics, to the dragon's disappointment. He felt a little safer when he had a handle on a little fear.

"Because I didn't give it to you."

The human nodded again, seeing the line being drawn. Best to not ask anything personal, then. He was about to open his mouth to speak when he heard the front door click open, and the dragon's expression snapped from an intent stare to a wide panic, eyes shot in the direction of the noise. Ace stood up as calmly as he could, holding both hands loosely at his chest level, speaking gently.

"That's just Marie, she lives with me."

The dragon's voice rattled, ears flatly pinned back to his head and pupils slit.

"No more humans, keep her away."

Ace paused. He had wanted to tell his sister about what was going on, she kind of had a right to know what was going on on the other side of her bedroom wall, in her own house, but he also smelled an opportunity to gain a little trust. He lowered his volume, and made soft eye contact, trying to sound as sincere as possible.

"...Okay, if that makes you more comfortable. I'll keep my mouth shut."

The dragon was outnumbered now. His weak heart pulsed as hard as it could, no adrenaline left to fill his veins after exhausting the supply to the bottom of the barrel the night before. He was riding a bluff with this human already, he didn't think he could with a second one. He was going to have to run. He could get up while the human was out of the room, there was a window across the room, he could escape through that. It was night, he had the cover of the mother moon, even if he was in human territory he had a chance, he had to try.

Ace took the silent stare as acceptance enough, and composed himself, casual as normal, and slipped out his door, only opened enough to allow his passage and shut behind him. Marie was at her bedroom door, down the hall, and perked up at the sight of him, having hardly seen him the past few days other than momentary overlaps at the tavern. A bright smile crossed her face, messy strawberry blonde curls bouncing slightly with the tilt of her head.

"Oh! You're still awake!"

Ace smiled in return, leaning his shoulder on the wall. He was glad to finally get a real run-in with her, she was the one real friend he had, even if he was on good terms with just about everyone around him, it was surface level. She swung her bag through her door around the corner, opting to not retreat just yet, holding her arms out for a hug. Ace chuckled, not hesitating to close the distance and pull her in with a pat on the back.

"Yeah, no need to crash so early when it's the weekend, figured I'd wait up and catch you for dinner."

Marie was the first to break the hug, already sliding out the hall and into the kitchen with glee, rolling up her sleeves and washing her hands and face off. Ace strolled after, hopping onto the island chair and spinning it around to face her, leaned back on the counter.

"Sweet! It's my turn to cook, what're you in the mood for?"

Ace pondered a little, no real cravings itching at his tongue. But now that he thought about it, the dragon hadn't eaten since he got here, so maybe something he could sneak some leftovers back to the bedroom for him later, he was gonna need to eat soon if he wanted to get his strength back up. Finally, he shrugged, motioning at the fridge.

"We got any of that venison left in the fridge? I could go for that."

Marie slid in her socks across the tile, gracefully pulling the door open with a flourish, waving her hand at the wrapped up package on the bottom shelf. With a beaming smile and a light tone to match, she slipped it out into her hand, tossing it lightly and catching it with a clap.

"I held off on it 'cause I figured you'd want it soon! I think we've got some baby spuds in the cupboard, if you wanna get to scrubbin' I'll get started on this!"

Ace smiled, she was always thinking of him like that. It was really nice, having someone that kept him in mind all the time, and he only hoped he did the same adequately. He slipped off his chair, opening the island cupboard and hoisting up the sack of potatoes, picking out what he figured should be enough between the two of them, with a couple extras, laid out on the counter and put away the rest. He got to to the sink with them once Marie stepped out of the way, getting to unwrapping and portioning out two even halves, peering through the dish cupboard for the trusty iron skillet and starting up the stove. They made idle conversation, Marie talking about the last few hours of her shift, Ace chatting about his weekend plans - he hoped to get another walk in, maybe explore a little farther out this time with his couple days off - and let the minutes melt by, comfortable with each other's company.

The dragon on the other hand, was shivering behind that thin wooden door down the hall.

_They're talking. What are they talking about, how much time do I have, is any of it helpful to me._

He struggled, trickles of adrenaline his body tried so feebly to replenish itself with being not enough to give him the strength he'd have liked, but he managed to grit his teeth and shift his legs over the edge of the bed, the unpleasant stick of his shed blood unwilling to release his skin from the soaked fabric. It stung, but he pressed on. He just had to make it on his feet, over to that window. He could try opening it, he could just shatter it if he had to, he would make it out, it was plenty big enough to squeeze his frame through. Once he was out, he would pray the mother moon and her children would offer him the guidance he needed to find his way to safer lands. Would he go home? No, he couldn't go home, home was where-

"Oh, the bandages, yeah, sorry, I had to use them on something, I forgot to pick up more."

He looked down at his body, bandages. They were talking about him, he was running short. He had to move. His nerves shot with the burn of a seasoned fire-spitter, but he managed to get his feet firmly planted, and he bit back the cries that pleaded to be freed from his throat as his leg threatened to buckle, putting most of his weight on the unbitten leg. His ears pricked, he could hear most of the words clear enough, he was unsure if they could hear him just as well. Okay, he was on his feet, and he might have to hobble a little, but at least he was on his feet, this was good. His balance was unsteady due to his injury, and his poor, poor tail, the beautiful fan had been ripped clean off at the end. He prayed it would grow back, though he'd never sustained such injuries before, and couldn't be sure. No time to fret, yet, though. He could mourn the loss of his vanity later, in seclusion, somewhere safe.

"Sorry, I told you I got pretty scuffed up the other night, I might have gone a little overboard patching myself up. I'll pick up more before I go out on my walk."

He was lying. The man smelled but faintly of blood, of wound, already half healed over. Why was he lying? He must know he was being listened in on, and is trying to fool him into giving up his trust. Not happening. The dragon was still on his mission, and took a few shaky steps, wincing harshly for even the fractions of a moment any weight was put on his thigh, blood threatening to rise up to the lightly scabbed exterior and reopen itself with a pounding in his veins. He tried to fold his wings to his back, and with just a little too much pressure on his leg and the sharp sting of the sensitive webbing cracking the edge of frail scabs, his voice betrayed him and a pitiful squeak slipped past his defenses as he fell to his knees. It was quiet, and the carpeted floor helped break the sound of his impact, but to him it was clear as day. He was frantic, hissed breathing at the stabbing prickle along his wings and the throbbing in his leg, and managed to pull himself across the floor with his back to the wall, nestled snugly between the bedside nightstand and the bed itself. It was no hiding place, but it left him less exposed. Dear sweet almighty, let him just wake up already and be safe in his nest.

Ace pretended not to hear the noise. Marie looked up at the soft thud, setting her fork down.

"Did you hear that?"

Ace took a small bite, lazily swallowing and putting on his best oblivious tone.

"Hear what?"

Marie shifted a little in her seat, scanning the room, but cautiously taking up her fork again and tucking another bite away.

"I swore I heard something fall. Maybe I'm just imagining it."

Ace shrugged loosely, carefully portioning his plate discreetly. He left four little baby potatoes aside, and about a third of his venison cut carefully off from the portion he otherwise eagerly tucked his teeth into.

"I've got pretty good ears, if anything was up I'd have heard it too." He lied.

Marie nodded, a little suspicious but taking his word for it. She glanced over his plate, her own just about cleaned. She shot him a concerned look, he always finished before her.

"You not hungry?"

He stopped a little, mid chew, and then looked down at his plate as if he hadn't noticed his slow pace. He finished his bite and chuckled, waving with reassurance.

"I'm plenty hungry, but uh, new diet. Tryin to spread out meals a little more, keep my metabolism goin' and all that."

Marie wasn't entirely convinced, but Ace was always one to worry about his figure under his breath, so it wasn't that unusual. She'd have to keep an eye on him, make sure he wasn't sick and just trying to stay off the radar again. He always pitched a fuss when she made him stay home from work to recover, but he'd never get well if he worked himself to the bone all the time. Ace got up, packing up his leftovers and discreetly setting them next to the fridge, behind the knife rack. He feigned putting them away proper by cracking open the door and fumbling around for a moment inside. Marie didn't seem to notice, to his relief. She brought her plate to the sink, washing it up and gesturing for Ace to pass her his own dishes. He thanked her and obliged, leaning back on the counter by the fridge and stretching out his arms.

"I'm a little worn out from work, so I think I'm gonna have to call it a night, but I'll be free tomorrow if you wanna hang out after your walk?"

Ace flashed a smile and a thumbs up as Marie dried her hands off on her jeans, heading back to her room. Ace wasn't the only one who could hold a good facade - Marie gave a warm smile in return before saying goodnight and withdrawing to her room. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was absolutely off about Ace today. She really hoped he wasn't sick again.

Ace let the sigh hiss out of his teeth like a deflating balloon as soon as the door was shut. He scooped his leftovers back up, and made a quick but quiet break for his room. He definitely heard that thud, and he was certain he heard that squeak. He hoped the dragon was okay and not getting into too much trouble.

When he opened the door, he first felt a chill hit when the bed was empty, but he could hear the rapid hissing of frantic breathing, and located the dragon wedged between the furniture at the wall. He took a sigh of relief, and swung the door behind him again, setting the container and fork down on his chair and making his way over to kneel down a few feet in front of the dragon, who made quite the show of his hissing and rattling his scales.

"Hey, what's goin on? You okay?"

The dragon was afraid to speak, he could hear the other human on the other side of the wall. She was too close. His eyes sparked wildly, teeth grit in a closed, silent snarl. He flicked his ear in the direction of Marie's room, not breaking his glare, and Ace glanced in the direction, putting two and two together. He lowered his voice, more for the dragon's sake than anything, knowing already that Marie couldn't hear him through the wall unless he was really raising his voice or she had an ear to the wall, and they respected each other's privacy enough to not eavesdrop like that.

"She doesn't know you're here, I'm good on my word. The walls are thicker than you'd think, nobody will hear you as long as you aren't stompin around or yelling, you can breathe."

The dragon didn't believe him, not one bit, humans couldn't possibly have hearing that awful. He was always told they were so hard to hide from, practically lying in wait to track them down. He couldn't walk like this, he couldn't fly like this, he was weak and growing fainter by the hour as his stomach twisted in knots at the smell of meat, first distant, now tauntingly close. It was like they were trying to torment him, wear him down with looming fear and starvation until he buckled. He would not buckle. He pulled his rage back up in his chest, squashing his fear, sharp glare getting a little hesitation from the human. Good. He should hesitate, he should be afraid of the dragon, not the other way around. Ace sighed, scooting back and getting back up to grab the food off his chair, bringing himself back over to the bedside. He was met with a scowl, and a whispered snarl.

"Now you're going to torment me with food I can't have, are you?"

Ace shook his head, trying to remain even toned. He couldn't admit he was getting a little scared of being lashed out at with how close he was now, even with the dragon beyond arm's reach. He pushed the container across the floor to the boundary of his range, leaving it close enough to be retrieved without having to lean forward too much. The dragon stared, puzzled.

"Why would I say you can't have it? I saved it for you. I know it isn't much, but I can get you more tomorrow. I figured you had to be hungry by now."

The dragon sniffed cautiously, his lips clamped shut to hide his salivation at even the idea of nourishment. His stomach growled, a faint blush rushing to his cheeks as he huffed furiously and snatched the container, paying no mind to the fork and grabbing the small hunk of venison with his bare hand, raising it to inspect it for any tampering. Was it drugged? Was this a way to sneak sedation in his system? He was always warned about meats left by the humans, what smells to look out for, what smells were safe. It looked cut a little funny, but he couldn't detect anything to be particularly suspicious of. With both hands, he nervously brought it to his lips, sinking the smallest nibble on the edge, the flood in his mouth telling him to pick up the pace, and when the sweet taste of flesh graced his tongue, he lost any remaining hesitation. His pupils slit, a feral edge prickling a flicker in his iris as catlike under-eyelids blinked over his eyes and he sunk into the flesh like he was desperate for the kill.

He didn't even realize Ace was watching him so intently. It was interesting, seeing the way his gears turned in his head when he wasn't just staring at Ace like he was just waiting for him to make one wrong move. He looked so thoughtful, but so instinctual. It was a little endearing. Ace's smile curled softly, relieved his offering was accepted so readily. He tried to not let his internal fear show with how predatorily the dragon scarfed down the venison, eyes darting back to the container and claws wasting no time in snatching up the potatoes, carnivorous fangs piercing them with ease. Ace hoped those teeth wouldn't end up piercing him anytime soon. By the time the dragon had finished practically inhaling his meal, Ace had looked away, up at the untouched glass of water on the nighstand. The dragon flicked his tongue a few times, pupils settling back to normal and his gaze resuming it's position on the human, though slightly curious this time.

"You must be thirsty, you never touched the water."

The reptilian man flicked his tongue again, still using it to pick the shreds out of his teeth. His throat wasn't as dry now that he'd gotten some food in him, he was practically built to get the majority of his moisture from his food, but with how much blood he'd lost, he needed a refill. He hesitated to break his stare, but looked upward at the cup, within his reach. He swore his mouth feigned being packed with cotton the instant he saw it, and he ignored the sting in his arm as he carefully wrapped a hand around the cup, bringing it down to his face, and hastily flicking his tongue into the liquid, scooping it into his mouth like a cat.

Ace wanted to tell him that wasn't quite how you were supposed to drink from a cup, but he wasn't going to step out of line just yet, he was glad to have made a little progress, even if it was momentary. He leaned back to prop himself up and rise to his feet, being met with a flinch and a growl from the dragon, who had brought his knees back up to his chin and wrapped his tail around his ankles. Ace waved him off politely, stepping back.

"Cool it, cool it, I'm backin up. I was gonna ask if you wanted back on the bed, it's gotta be more comfortable than the floor."

The dragon sniffled softly, taking another few laps of water while holding his glare locked on the human. So what if he fed him, he clearly wanted him alive, or he'd have killed him and sold off his pieces by now. He was probably going to try to tame him, make him obedient and follow his every order. It wouldn't happen, he only had to do what he wanted to do, and the longer this human was foolish enough to keep him alive, the more he would recover, the more capable he would be of escape. It was a matter of time. If he played along just right, he could get out of this in one piece. If he was just minimally compliant, he could feign cooperation, he would look worth the effort to keep around, and he could buy the time to heal.

It's a plan, then. But that didn't mean he had to like the human. He huffed a little, forcing his ears to a softer tilt, and made careful effort to pay attention to his own body, lest it betray his intents.

"...I'm fine here. It's more secure."

Ace couldn't hold back that smirk, glad to hear at least a response that wasn't so huffy. He sat himself back in his chair - he'd love to sleep in his bed, but it was unfortunately pretty caked in dried blood, and he had a feeling he'd be really pushing his luck getting that close to the dragon. He would have to get a pillow from the couch or something for this chair, he wasn't treating his neck very kindly. The dragon shuffled a little, wincing still but getting himself more comfortable in his nestled corner. His eyes remained trained on the man.

"Suit yourself, then. I'm gonna swing by the market in the morning, any breakfast requests?"

The dragon wasn't sure what to expect. Nor did he know what kind of options he had, if they would even be fulfilled. Best to not get his hopes up, and keep it simple.

"...More prey."

He flashed his teeth a little, using a claw to snag the last bits of flesh from his fangs. Ace tried not to shudder, and nodded, pulling his legs up onto the chair, as if that would keep them out of biting range. The dragon took a little satisfaction in the way the human squirmed uncomfortably.

"..Makes sense, those teeth look built to kill."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello I'm Babey thank you to those who have already left kudos I love you, may your skin be clear and your crops be watered, bc you're sure blessing me with the serotonin I didn't know I needed.
> 
> But here we have it, human man thinks he can work the dragon and the dragon thinks he can play the human. Marie just thinks her brother is up to something.


	3. A Walk, A Shower.

Ace grumbled as he reached for his phone to shut off the alarm. It was sunrise, and the light of dawn was creeping in through the blinds, slowly working it's way across the room. He sat himself up, trying to stretch out that persistent ache in his neck. Shopping list consisted of more first aid, a real pillow, and sacrifice for the beast in his room. Speaking of, he glanced bedward, only to find the man still awake, glancing back and forth between himself and the window. Ace raised a brow, standing and cracking his back.

"Mornin. You not tired?"

The dragon stared quietly at the light, eyes squinting at the faint rays like he had a flashlight point blank in his face. He looked uneasy, almost, as his lids flickered with his onsetting exhaustion. He'd been up all night, naturally, and he'd normally be plenty awake still if he wasn't in the middle of using every scrap of energy his body could get it's claws on to try and piece together his wounds and put himself back together.

"...I'm nocturnal."

It made enough sense, shy of his sickly pale skin on his more.. human looking parts, he looked like he was practically born from the night itself with how dark his scaled features were. He would have never even spotted him in the forest that night, had he not caught the glint off his teeth. He was a night predator. Ace brushed off his clothes, trying to shake off the wrinkles from yesterday's wear and his uncomfortable sleep, and slid his jacket on, running his fingers along the rivets that traced his shoulders and ran along his wrists. The dragon perked up, suddenly a little interested. They were clearly shiny and metal, but they reminded him of his own scales. The thought crossed his mind for a moment, if this human were like him. He could picture the twisted horns, the sleek tail, the powerful wing muscles, perhaps if he were a dragon, he would be nice to look at.

He caught himself huffing furiously, coughing on the hitch of his breath. Of course he would be, dragons were beautiful, unlike the humans. Bland, featureless by comparison, plain. Any human would be leagues more appealing if they were just that- not human. They were the boring white bread of the sapient races, as far as he was concerned. But still, he supposed this one might be a little extra pretty with that kind of upgrade. Maybe.

Ace's attention was caught when the reptile coughed, and it reminded him they were still in need of a lot of recovery, even if their spitfire attitude kept rearing it's head. Attitude was a good thing in someone injured, it meant they were still trying to keep on their feet, and it reassured him that things were going in the right direction for his health. He quickly averted his gaze when the dragon looked back up, he didn't seem to take well to being watched, from what he'd gathered.

"Nocturnal, huh? So like, you have nightvision and all that?"

He shuffled over to his dresser while the dragon rolled his eyes, burying his face a little in his knees as the light crept over the edge of the bed, met with disdainful glares. He rifled through the bottom drawer, grabbing his extra blanket. He was going to use this on his bed, originally, while he washed the other one off from all the blood, but..

"..Yeah. I'm really, really sensitive to light."

He halfheartedly raised his hand to shield his eyes, when he flinched as Ace walked bedward, growling a low rumble as he expected to be approached again, but trailed off as he walked right on past. He tried to block the light with his hand as he peered over the bed, watching as Ace unfolded the cloth and hung it up over an empty curtain rod, the room getting considerably darker almost instantly. It was no resting moon, but it was dark enough that he didn't have to squint to keep the headache at bay. Ace turned back to him, and offered a thumbs up.

"I had a feeling. This a little better?"

He scoffed. Another attempt to win him over. He could separate the art from the artist - a good deed done by a human did not make a good human. He hunched back down beside the bed, ears up, but still a little more comfortable. He could maybe get some actual sleep like this. Maybe.

"...I guess, a little."

Ace took the small victory with a grin, and trotted on back past his bed to his door. The dragon's eyes followed him, ensuring no move went unnoticed. The human slept with a sheath on his hip. He assumed it to be a weapon, a knife from the looks of it. He couldn't let his guard down around this one. He wondered if the other human slept armed, as well. He needed to learn what he could, know the weak points he'd need, know what to keep his eyes on. The human awkwardly patted his hips, then a little higher on his jacket, before seeming suddenly content with his strange, brief slapping ritual and pulling out a handful of small, shiny metal slabs.

Ace twirled his keys by the ring, checking off that he had his wallet, phone, and his knife still on his person - the essentials. Marie wasn't so big on mornings, so he figured he could make his rounds shopping and get back with time to spare before he had to worry about pretending he didn't have some creature of legend snarling under his bed and that everything was normal. It would give him some time to prepare for that. He didn't like lying to Marie, and he knew she could see right through him if he wasn't exceptionally careful, and he would have to tell her eventually. But not right now, not if he wants the dragon to calm down and trust him a little.

If he trusted him, maybe he could actually get him to open up, get to know him. He was interesting. He was something to rock the boat.

"I'll be back in a little while, I'll try not to wake you if you're asleep by then. Just a heads up, we should probably swap out your bandages tonight and like.. get you cleaned up. At least, if you wanna heal right."

The dragon tensed up a little, not fond of the prospect of being touched later, let alone where he was so sore and fragile. He didn't get a chance to argue, though, as Ace slipped out the door quietly. He listened to the footsteps pad away, and another door click, and then he was left with complete silence as they faded out into the fog of the morning. He was alone. It was quiet.

He wasn't so sure he liked being alone here. It was different, in his den, that was his and he didn't want anyone in it. Anyone who got too close might lose a chunk if they didn't get away in a hurry. But this felt so different, and he couldn't describe how. At first, he called it containment, but when he really mulled it over, he thought containment would feel more hopeless, cold and intimidating. This was just quiet.

He had some time to his thoughts, at least. He liked it better when he wasn't having to be wary of eyes tracking him, and with the blanket over the window, he felt a little more secure that no one could see him with the human out of the picture, so that was an improvement. If he could get to the window by night, maybe he could try to sneak a search for his mother moon in the sky and quell his nerves a little. It was no cure all, but he felt so stifled without the lunar light soothing his aches and calming his mind.

The dragon tried to crane his neck to scan the room better, now that he was alone with it, and winced, cursing himself for cramming himself into this tiny space for so long. His body hurt bad enough already, it didn't need cramps on top of it - he would have to try and get up, sooner better than later. He braced himself with a steady breath as he uncurled his less injured leg as preparation, the sting still nipping at his nerves but manageable, with some effort. He brought his hands planted firmly on the edge of the bed and the nightstand beside him, taking a deep breath and starting to hoist himself up, hot crackles immediately jumping through his leg, the deep teeth marks once again threatening to boil over, but he held steady. After the initial jolt, it wasn't too bad with most of his weight on his arms and his other leg. Sure, those hurt like hell too, but nothing comparatively.

He finally made it upright, a little smile sneaking on the corners of his lips with his success, despite his labored breathing and the pounding in his leg and his shoulders. This was progress, it was a little easier to get up this time than last evening. Not by much, but just a little. He carefully sat himself back on the bed, able to lay himself down on his side to keep the pressure off his chest, but accommodate his tail and wings much better than how the human had laid him down. His chest burned, but it was such a steady, continual burn, it was almost easier to ignore the pain from it than everywhere else. Once he'd settled himself down, faced away from the window, he exhaled softly and let some of the tension fall off his body, the aches and stings plateauing and softening once he stopped moving. He had eaten, drank, and gotten off the floor, and now his fractured body begged him to close his eyes and sleep.

The dragon pulled his tail over his leg, the end up to his chest. He ever so gently traced just behind where the flesh was torn, he swore he could feel the phantom outline of his missing piece. His scales were a mess, flaked off in large patches and the ones that remained felt so loose and dull. They had all lost their sheen, to his disappointment, but he supposed that happens when you get as obliterated as he did. He ran a finger up against the grain, gently, feeling his spines and their little arches that cradled the crest of his tail like armor. Those were mostly intact, compared to the rest of him. He was thankful he wasn't all salvage, after that fight. Really, he was thankful he wasn't dead, by some miracle. He was certain that bastard would have been his end.

He pictured his tail fan, folding and unfolding with the glisten he was so proud of alongside his wings, who were now too just scraps of their former selves. He would have to repay them a visit when he was ready for a rematch.

\--------------------

Ace had picked up everything he needed - though it took some quick talking with the doctor to explain away why he needed so much ointment, disinfectant, and gauze - Is Marie alright?? Is something coming, do you know something I don't?? - and an awkward excuse at the butcher - Haha, just working out more and I figure some protein is good for me! - at the large helping of meat he picked up. He wasn't sure what the dragon would prefer more, or if he needed a variety just like people, he probably did. He tried to ask for the contact of the hunters that supplied the butcher his more wild gamey type meats, but they insisted it was a business secret, and he didn't have the kind of money he'd need to try and sweet talk bribe it out of them. This would hopefully do.

He strolled back up to his front door, bag heavily slung over his shoulder, and he let himself in, glancing at the couch to see if Marie was up early - cursing himself for forgetting the pillow. Well, guess he'd be sneaking the one from the couch after all. He scooped it under his arm, putting away the parcels of meat wrapped in waxy paper in the fridge before they could spoil, and making his way back to his room, expecting to be greeted with another hiss, snarl, growl.

Instead, he walked in to see the dragon peacefully asleep on his bed again, soft breaths rumbling almost inaudibly. A smile tugged at his mouth, the guy was kinda cute like this, not shooting him unspoken death threats with his fangs and glares. He tiptoed along the wall, lightly knocking on the shared bathroom door to ensure it's vacancy before entering, putting away a handful of the bandages, which was nothing compared to what was left in his bag, and slipping back into his room, door locked behind him for good measure. He was going to put the rest with the leftover first aid under the edge of the bed, but right now he assumed he should leave that space be lest he wake the beast. They seemed comfortable, for once. He emptied the contents of his bag onto his chair, much to the appreciation of his shoulder. Game plan: he was gonna finally take his walk, maybe check out where he found the dragon now that he'd actually be able to see, get home, hang out with Marie a while, tell her he was gonna get a good shower in after a long hike, and see if he could use the bought time to get the dragon to at least rinse off before helping him re-dress his wounds, and then once Marie went to bed, he could get some food back to the dragon under the radar. It felt doable enough.

He stopped on his way out, catching out of the corner of his eye that the glass of water was empty. He backtracked to the nighstand, hesitance in each step as he eyed the dragon, bracing for every twitch, snuffle, and grumble like he was about to wake up and spit fire on him. Which felt pretty plausible, dragons spit fire, right? At least in stories they did. When he got to the glass, he slunk away softly to the bathroom to refill it, and back again to leave it on the table for the dragon, just in case he woke up thirsty. With that done, he mentally checked that he covered all his bases, and left the house again, off on his way to the town border and into the woods, vaguely remembering which way to go, at least from the willow. Technically speaking, he could just walk away from the sun, since it was still townside before noon, and when he ran off that night he followed the moon eastward to get back home.

He wove through his well worn trail, happy to see his comfortable, familiar setting again. This was what home felt like. Before long he heard the bubbling water again, and heard the rustle of his willow in the breeze. He glanced skyward as he approached his favorite resting place, noting the sun's height. He guessed it was around.. 8 or 9, Marie would be waking up soon if she hadn't already gotten up. Did he lock both bedroom doors? Yes, yes he did, he locked the bathroom door twice and he never forgot to lock his bedroom door. Not like it mattered, Marie would never barge in anyways, but just in case. He stopped at the old willow, gently resting his hand on the trunk as if to caress it with a soft, heartfelt affection, smiling warmly. If he had all the time in the world, Ace would spend it right here. But he didn't have all the time in the world, and he was going to have to get moving if he wanted to get home before noon, and not drift off into his thoughts again.

He hesitated at the water, not wanting to soak his shoes again. Sure, he had sneakers he could wear, but his boots were finally dry again, and he'd like to keep them that way. It was a little too far to jump, especially with the muddy banks, he would rather not end up slipping and falling into the shallow water. A few rocks poked up just enough that he figured he could get away with just wet treads if he watched his step. He sized them up, and the gentle river flow. It wouldn't be enough to make him lose balance, not by a long shot, so he just took the steps with his arms out at his sides for the moral support, really. Just in case. Crossing was no trouble, he could do that any day. He wasn't really sure why he'd never done it before.

Pushing his way through the forest was honestly easier in the day, even without the trail. He could go around the thickets, under the branches, over the rocks. Ace took a little relief in the fact that he wouldn't end up coming home all kinds of scuffed up again, the first scratches and scrapes were still trying to finish healing. He took a lot longer than he expected to find the crashed clearing this time, though he supposed he was sprinting last time, so that would cut the trip a lot quicker. When he stepped up to the edge, he had to stop a curse from uttering past his lips.

"Holy mother of..."

It was more damaged than he thought it would be. It wasn't just a few little trees knocked down, this was a long line of damage. He guessed it was at least 6 houses down lengthwise, and it was roughly wedge shaped, smallest where he picked up the dragon from. He had thought it would have been smaller at the start, not the other way around. It was littered with shattered branches, torn through like the thick trees were fragile little toothpicks. He carefully walked through the wreckage, having to take high steps over branches near waist hight to avoid tripping, and navigating still around precariously balanced trunks that threatened to slip and tumble on him any moment and branch-masked pits in the dirt that lay open to take his ankle at just one misstep. It smelled burnt still, but he saw no actual evidence of a fire, no burns, no ashes, no smoke, nothing.

He was still pretty puzzled how the dragon ended up crashing down here. He was pretty small, so even if he was clumsy, he wouldn't do this much damage. Not even half this.

Then Ace got the feeling he was being watched. It wasn't silent, but it was a little more quiet than it should have been at this hour. He scanned around, but saw no glint of eyes, no movement. He told himself it was just the normal wildlife, a lie, to reassure his nerves. Maybe it was a good time to get heading home, now that he thought about it. He didn't need to persuade himself to turn back and get going home, pace a little quicker than before, path a little less around and a little more through the obstacles to save time where he could. He wasn't keen on that feeling of being watched, being stalked.

When he got home, the afternoon went about as expected with Marie in the common quarters of the house. He told her, truthfully, he turned home a little early because he felt like something was out there, and Marie reminded him she was always willing to go with him if he needed some company for those sorts of trips. He appreciated it, but he really did like the chance to be truly alone for a little bit, and she understood that, she had her own getaways and he had his. They talked, listened to the radio for a little while, Ace took his turn to make dinner while Marie cleaned up the living room, and as they always did, they sat across from each other on the kitchen island to eat. Ace gave himself a smaller portion this time - though he was admittedly hungry, he had a cover story to stick to. It was easy enough last night, because he'd eaten a little earlier before Marie got home, but this time he was going to have to curb his appetite a while. At least until he could say he gave up on the diet, like all the last ones.

"Hey, Ace?"

Marie looked thoughtful as she scrubbed off her plate in the sink, not looking up at him as he put his own cleaned and dried dishes away in the cupboard again. Oh boy, he knew that look.

"Yo, that's me. What's up, Marie?"

She bit her lip a little, hesitating. She turned off the faucet and got to drying her dish with the towel, looking to her brother's face to read him for honesty.

"Are you feeling alright?"

He hoped she didn't notice him fight back that wince. Of course she knew something was up, she's the only one who would, and she's the only one he can't weasel his way out of explaining things to. He offered an unsure smile, and a shrug, not to her satisfaction.

"Uhh... Yeah? Why?"

She put the towel back on the counter, Ace stepping out of her way so she could put her plate in the cupboard atop his.

"You just seem a little off, is all. You know if anything is going on, you can talk to me, right? I can keep a secret if you need me to."

He was certain she didn't know, but damn if she wasn't always on the mark whether she meant to be or not. Marie was real good at that. He pulled her in for a one armed side hug, forcing a hopefully convincing chuckle out.

"Of course I know that. I've known you long enough to know i can trust you with anything."

Marie leaned into the hug, but her gut still told her he was hiding something.

"You know you can, but will you?"

Ace swore this woman was gonna end up building them a second house with how many nails she was securing into place so firmly. He wasn't gonna get out of this by lying.

"Eventually, I'll always fill you in."

Maybe he could get away with a half-truth.

"...That helps, thank you. I worry about you, you know."

Bingo. He exhaled a little sigh of relief, patting her shoulder before breaking the hug, leaning back on the kitchen wall in front of the fridge. She looked him over, still judging for sincerity, and decided she would take what she could get.

"I know, the same goes for you, though. Say, you cool if I borrow the shower for a while? I ain't feelin' too clean after the hike."

Marie knew to pick her battles, and that her brother pretty clearly didn't want to talk about it any more tonight. Whatever it was. She nodded, making her way back to the couch to plop down and tuck her nose in her book that she left on the side table.

"Go right ahead, I take morning showers anyways. You going to bed after that?"

Ace made his way out of the kitchen and down the hall ruffling his sister's sleeve on her shoulder as he passed her by with a smile.

"Maybe, I might just lay down for a while. You still going out tomorrow?"

Marie idly held her thumb over her place in her book, though still not looking up as Ace rested his hand on his bedroom doorknob, fiddling with his keys.

"Just like every other Sunday, yeah."

With that, Ace slunk into his room once more, the dragon stirring from his slumber at the sound of the door. He slid his jacket off and hung it back on his chair as the reptile shuddered awake, hissing at the sting in his chest as he sat himself up. It still hurt almost just as bad, but he was a little more used to it now.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. I bought some time, wanna get all that muck off you?"

The dragon blinked both pairs of eyelids sleepily, brow furrowed with confusion as he let his tail slip back off his lap and around to drape over the bed behind him.

"You traded money for time? Humans are weird."

Ace found himself stifling a snicker, shaking his head as he fumbled across the room in the dark to dig in his dresser for a clean towel.

"No, no, it's an expression. It means Marie won't be worried about the bathroom for a little while, so you can get a shower in."

The dragon's eyes had adjusted quickly, and he found himself rumbling a little grumble of amusement at how uncoordinated the human looked all of a sudden, holding his hands in front of him and taking little baby steps, nearly running into his wooden box of fabrics. Could he really not see like this? Pathetic, it wasn't even that dark.

"What's a shower, and why would I want it in me?"

Ace gently felt around his dresser for the drawer handle, sliding the wooden shelf out on it's tracks and reaching around for a towel. Grabbing one, he closed the drawer back up and stood to his feet, leaning an elbow on top of the dresser and looking in the dragon's direction. He could hardly see a thing, but the bright purple of his eyes was hard to miss, it was almost like two little beacons twinkling in the void.

"Another expression, bud. You wanna get clean or not? Because if you don't, I can about guarantee you're not long from being a walking medical disaster."

The dragon rolled his eyes, ears back. So many strange sayings, but he supposed he.. did want to get clean. The dirt and debris caked in with his dried blood was less than appealing, and he felt like his natural oils were all clogging up his poor already pitiful scales. This bathroom must have some sort of spring hidden in it, he assumed, and he began trying to push himself to his feet, hissing through his teeth at the stings. Ace seemed to perk up, taking a few steps too close, eliciting a much more purposeful hiss from the dragon.

"Hey, hey, take is easy. It's gonna hurt a lot less if you let me help you walk."

The dragon glared, leaning away from the human's offered hand, and hobbling around him, wincing and growling at the throbbing ache. He stopped a few steps behind the human, holding his hands out in a little mock flourish. Ace sighed, but didn't press.

"I can walk just fine without your help. ...But yes, I would like to groom myself."

Ace huffed a little at the attitude, and walked past the dragon to open the bathroom door. He pretended to not hear the dragon immediately spark up with little huffs and rumbles, the snarky reptile. He swung the door open, stepping in first to lock the door to Grace's side for good measure, and gave his own little mock flourish, struggling to not bump the shower wall in the dark.

The dragon would have to teach him a lesson for that little challenge later. No human would huff so disrespectfully at him and get to just forget about it. He made his way over, growls covering up his whimpers of pain from his admittedly too swift pace, and stepped into the much more confining room. He wasn't claustrophobic, but it wasn't very big for two people to be in at once, he was practically a hand's reach away from the human, who he now had to look up at to see his face. He barely came up to the man's shoulders in this form.

"Well, I'll leave your towel on the counter here, for when you're done. Lemme get the water going for you, I'm gonna guess you don't need me to hold your hand through washing yourself."

The dragon flicked his tongue, annoyed, as the human set down the fluffy looking cloth and pulled the front of the glass box to the side, twisting a couple metal knobs. He jumped when the hiss of the water bubbled out suddenly, hissing in startled retaliation, sniffling as Ace stepped back out of the way, motioning at the dragon. The reptile looked at him curiously, but he could put two and two together. He leaned over into the box, inspecting it briefly, seeing the falling water not pooling up, but trickling down a little barred hole in the corner. Alright, so he wouldn't get trapped and drown in here, noted.

He reached to step in, when the human suddenly stuck an arm out, blocking him and bumping his hand. He huffed sharply, standing up tall and whipping to face the man that was giving him such mixed signals, and Ace gestured at him again, flatly.

"You're gonna want to get those bandages off and get undressed before you get in the water, you know. I'll get out of your hair, privacy and all. Have at it, lemme know if you need anything."

True to his word, the human sidestepped around the dragon, and right out the door, swinging it softly closed behind him. He didn't expect to be left be so easily, but he sure wasn't going to ask him to come back and get involved, either.

Ace sat on his bed for the first time in days, putting his face in his hands. He was really trying to be nice, but this dude was just a sour apple and then some, and he had his limits. Marie would be so much better at this than him, but he was gonna have to make do by himself for a while longer. He decided to take the first moment he had alone in his own room to pry the messy blanket off his bed, balling it up and discarding it on the floor, and flopping himself down on the thankfully still clean sheets. Oh, sweet fluffy mattress, how he missed thee. He could rest his sore spine for at least a few minutes, he'd sort out cleaning his blanket later. He'd have to lay down his extra towel or something for the dragon, for morning. It didn't even occur to him he would still be going blanket and bedless on his chair.

The dragon winced, sharply inhaling as he picked at the adhesive stuck to his body over his wounds, trying to peel the fluffy pads off carefully so as to not re-open things. He was mostly successful, only a few little beads of red cropping up where things were particularly deep and agitated. He discarded the gauze from his chest first, pushed aside on the cold tile floor. He unbuttoned the side of his waist-wrap, hanging it over the glass box door so he could clean it off alongside himself. It was pretty tattered, and he didn't strictly need it to cover himself, his underbelly plating kept himself covered just fine, stretching from his tail up to just below his bellybutton, but it was still more comfortable to have on.

He took the bandages off his thigh next, the wound deeper than his chest, more blood pricking up in speckles as the fluff separated from his skin, but it was still manageable. That discarded, he had a much easier time removing the patches from his tail, the oils of his scales made it hard for the adhesive to hold on and it was coming loose already anyways. With his little pile of used bandaging scooted on the floor, he reached his hand out to touch the falling water in investigation.

A pleasant shiver crept up his arm as the droplets ran over his claws. It was warm. He was so, so cold, and this was exactly what he needed. He hurried himself in, almost slipping a little on the wet floor, but still steady enough to keep himself upright. The warmth stung on his wounds, and the red poured from his cuts - though he knew well enough that water was a trickster, and made injuries look far more grave than they truly were, and this did not worry him. It felt like the hot springs he had shared with his family as a hatchling, when he and his clutchmates were too small to withstand the cold on their own. It was comforting, it was rejuvenating. He wasn't cold-blooded, but he did need a lot of energy to regulate his temperature - energy that was currently dedicated to healing.

The heat worked wonders for softening off his old scale oils, too. He felt so much less gunked up, so much more smooth as the water poured down his back and over his tail. He didn't even care that the open wounds still hurt like a bastard and a half. He dunked his head in the water, his thick brown hair clumping down onto his face and down his shoulders quickly, the oils melting off his horns and out of his scalp. He used his hands to wipe his skin off, going with the grain of his scales, then sideways to help loosen out any debris from the small overlaps. His tail curled up just a little bit, so that the cascading water that poured down it would depart before the raw end, sparing him that extra bit of sting - physical, and emotional, reminding him of his poor, poor fan. He really, really hoped it would be alright. Other dragons had lost parts of their fans or webbing, and they came back just fine, so he wasn't as afraid for his wings, at least.

When he had finally rubbed and scratched off all the gunk and muck from his body, he turned around, letting his shivering wings get a turn in the water. The pattering on that leathery skin sounded akin to rain on the forest canopy, at the very heart of his home, where the mother tree's leaves grew bigger than his little body. He shook his head sharply, though, and fluttered his wings in the water to kick off the noise. He couldn't think of home, he shouldn't dwell on places he didn't miss.

He worked his hands over the webbing, gentle as ever at the torn edges. Under all that dirt, blood and thickened set oil, they still had their sheen, to his immense relief. They may be torn, they may be prickled with holes and tears, but they still held the night sky just as they should. Dark, deep violet that cascaded into a softer hue of a crimson wine red, or at least it would if the webbing hadn't been torn up so close to the frame. The darkest shades were what remained, but he could still catch that glittery twinkle of the mother moon's children, carrying his wings with her blessing. With every shift of angle, he caught a different set of speckles, off white in every little shade of pinks, blues and golds. His pride and joy, with his matching tail fan.

The dragon was just relieved he hadn't had that taken from him, too.

When he was satisfied with his cleanliness and had rinsed out his waist wrap briefly, he hovered his gaze over the metal knobs the human had fiddled with before. He reached for them, pushing at first, then pulling a little, but neither option had any give. He tried twisting them, and yelped sharply when the first one spun easily, but left the water icy cold. He quickly jerked it back, the warmth returning to him. The startle had caused his scales to stand on end, and he shook himself to smooth them back down. This time, he stepped out of the water first, and turned both knobs, satisfied when the water stopped. He assumed they had a limited amount, or it would have just been flowing all the time, right?

With that, he shook off his dripping form, most of the water ending up on the floor around him as his scale oils replaced themselves, causing the water to run off him in beads, only really sticking to his hair. He scanned the room, picking up the folded fabric the human left him, and unfurling it. It was a little uncomfortable, if only because it soaked up the thin oil coating that protected his skin. But it would have to do, at least until his wrap dried off. He awkwardly draped it around his waist, having to hold it overlapped on the front to keep himself covered, and opened up the door with his wings folded snugly to his back.

Steam poured out, and Ace sat up, saying his goodbyes to his peaceful alone time. He averted his eyes a little as the dragon unsteadily wobbled halfway to the bed, sight having adjusted to the darkness by now. It wasn't like he'd been more dressed than this prior, the towel was longer than his little.. skirt of sorts. But Ace supposed this was the first time he saw him cleaned up and not, y'know, unconscious. He had brought the medical supplies over to the bedside while the dragon was in the other room, and scooted himself to the pillow side, patting the bed for him to come sit. The dragon looked him over, skeptical, as the human turned a little to hide the awkward dusting of pink on his cheeks.

"You uh, want me to help you get re-bandaged, or you wanna do it yourself?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day??? Wow what a day 
> 
> Local dragon man just really likes being well groomed and clean and still doesn't trust this human man, but the idea of rinsing off was very tempting, and he accepted the offer strictly for hygiene purposes and absolutely not because he's bad at staying angry when not being actively poked and prodded. His fury knoweth no bounds, and all shall know the suffering he brings. After the shower.


	4. Stargazing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I totally intended this to have another event covered in it, but then by the time I finished it was already at quota, and I didn't want to drop a double-length chapter in the middle of everything when I could just save it and get the next one going. So like, here, enjoy some fluff?

The dragon blinked a few times, re-processing the statement.

"You uh, want me to help you get re-bandaged, or you wanna do it yourself?"

He knew the bandages helped protect his injuries the first time, but his wounds were sealing on their own now, as they were meant to do. It felt like kind of a waste of time to sit here and put more fluffy padding on his body and stick it down with those clingy strips Ace called medical tape. He also wasn't super fond of the idea of doing all that work himself, or having hands on him for however long the process would take. He'd been hurt plenty of times before, he just needed to give it some air and keep moving so his muscles didn't wear out. He would either recover just fine, or he wouldn't, and that's how it went. He was a bit of a meticulously groomed dragon himself, when he could move and get to water, so he had always healed just as he needed to in prior aftermaths of disputes or hunts gone wrong.

"...I don't need them."

He spoke a little flatly, but the usual edge was back off his tone, his nerves having eased from the warmth soaking into his bones and his skin feeling clear, the only itching that remained was the itch of a wound healing. He didn't have to feel so dirty anymore, thanks to the wash. It was an instant mood lifter.

But his good mood didn't mean he liked, or had to listen to, the human.

Ace rolled his eyes, picking up a jar of a thick looking cream in one hand and the box of gauze in the other, setting the box in his lap and unscrewing the lid of the jar, the sudden odor hitting the dragon's senses smoother than he expected, a little cool to the nose and in a way, almost sweet, but still unfamiliar and strange nonetheless. Ace patted the bedside again. The dragon huffed under his breath.

"Will you at least let me get the really bad spots? It's gotta hurt to breathe under that chest wound, and I imagine you'd like to get back to walking normal. Plus... Your tail."

The dragon winced at the mention of his tail. He didn't need the pitiful, plain, drab human reminding him of the missing flair that belonged nestled securely at the end of his body, a testament to his mother moon's blessings and his own beauty. It stung in his chest, deeper than the wound could have reached, in the depths of his pride. He walked with purpose across the room, as much as one can with a limp, past the bed and to the window, pushing aside the blanket to let the pale moonlight dust it's way past the closed blinds, which he awkwardly lifted out of his way and tucked his head under, face pressing to the cold glass. He would normally have recoiled a little, but he had enough heat stored at the moment to be able to afford a little of the empty air's icy hold on the windowpane.

Ace hummed curiously to himself, setting the jar of medicine up on the bedside table and the box on the floor, swinging himself around and scooting over the bed to face the window, and in turn, the silent dragon. He couldn't ever really tell for sure what was going through this guy's head, he could only made semi-educated guesses and hope for the best, and he's been lucky to have a few hits so far. This one he kinda drew a blank on, so he didn't say a word, and just watched.

The dragon trembled in his core. He could just barely see - past the human dens, over the forest she protected so tenderly, his mother moon nested in her pillowy bed of clouds in the sky overhead. He felt ease start to cradle his heart, able to push aside the aches of his wounds and the his damaged pride. It could all melt away when he looked up at her. This is what his home felt like. His tail swayed gently behind him, scales flexing involuntarily where muscles that should have connected to his fan tensed and eased, his reflexes trying to spread the phantom membrane with every swing. His wings found themselves quivering open, Ace getting his first proper look at the glisten that twinkled over the shreds that still held fast to the dark, skeletal frame. With the moonlight shining through them, catching every little sparkle that remained on the semi-translucent skin, he didn't even catch himself staring, a bit mesmerized. The scales on the outer edges of the wing frames caught the light in just the right way themselves, their violet trim catching softly like the glow in the dark planets and stars he had on his bedroom ceiling as a child.

The dragon had his sights buried behind the blinds that hung over his shoulders, and he was too lost in his trance to care about the creeping feeling of a pair of eyes on him. He was fairly certain it was the human on the bed, anyhow. He seemed to like to stare when he thought the reptile was unassuming. Ace was actually the one who broke the silence first, clearing his throat a little, the dragon's ears flattening in response.

"...You like the night sky?"

The dragon huffed, partly in annoyance and partly in amusement at just how dense this man was. He had to be a real piece of work, even compare to other humans, it was almost like he was stupid on purpose. He broke his sights from the celestial body with a sigh, laced with heartbreak at such a quick departure, and turned his eyes back to the human once his head withdrew from behind the blinds.

"What do you think. I already told you I'm nocturnal."

His wings had folded themselves back away with his line of sight broken from the sky, to Ace's disappointment. The man nodded, still satisfied with the confirmation, and then he had a thought.

"Do you.. wanna get out and go stargazing?"

He would not admit, even if his life depended on it, that his heart jumped. He squashed it back down, he could not go out like this, not without at least his wings recovered, tail or no tail. He would be clumsy, but he could still get himself off the ground without it's balancing aid, and with enough effort, that meant out of reach of hunters. He hated to think about it, but staying inside was his safest option for the time being. This human might be at least playing along for now, but he couldn't bank on the idea of any others doing the same upon catching him in their sights.

Ace could see the hope, and then the rejection, on the dragon's face clear as day. His eyes sparked, then furrowed and his ears left their perk to another flattened curve. While he was still learning the noises, and the wings, he had connected the dots mentally that most of his body language was almost equatable to a house cat. The ears, the tail, even the way his scales raised up like poofed fur. It gave him some ground to stand on when it came to communicating, or at least picking up the signals the dragon was putting down.

"I'll take that as a not right now. You know, we could always get up on the roof, and if we're on the backyard side, no one in town will see us."

With their house on the very outskirt of town, it was a little longer walk to the market or the tavern, but it came with a blessing of privacy that Ace and Marie cherished. They knew they didn't particularly have to worry about prying eyes in the sweet little community, but it was always an anxiety that paced the back of their mind. Because of that, the humans both had gotten quietly familiar with the blindspots of the surrounding area, the times foot traffic was lower, places they could go to find some peace from watching eyes.

The dragon cocked an ear, trying to stifle his resurfacing hope, but his curiosity still peered past his defenses. Ace knew he had caught attention with something at least interesting, and took the risk to keep talking.

"I've gone up there plenty of times, when i don't have time to get out into the woods but I need to clear my head for a while. It might be a little rough on your leg, but I can give you a boost up."

He as intrigued, to say the least. It sounded.. promising. And truth be told, he had hopes of his recovery being eased by basking in the glow of the night more properly, as he was meant to do. He eyed the human over, back to his suspicions.

"...And what's the catch."

Ace snickered, hands up in a false surrender for a moment before moving to work through a tangle of his hair nestled at his shoulder, plaid blue bandanna having gotten half wrapped in the knot.

"Alright, you got me, I'll take you out if you let me get you patched back up. Before or after, I don't really care which order."

The dragon squinted a little, flicking his tongue on reflex to inspect him for dishonesty. He pulled his tongue back in with a little dissatisfaction, reminded that humans did not emit their thoughts or intentions the same way as the dragons. But he was still learning quickly from their few interactions, and what he had overheard of the man's conversations with his denmate - tone was helpful, but especially so was word choice.

"...How do I know you'll be good on your word, after you're satisfied."

Ace didn't have to hesitate, smiling a little as he screwed the cap back on the jar that he had previously set aside, standing up.

"Same way I'd know you'd let me take care of you after gettin' out there, I'm just takin your word for it."

With a little huff, he saw the human's point - from the human point of view alone. Humans lied to each other, unlike his family. They could take each other's word and know it was nothing but the truth. Humans couldn't do that, they had to prove themselves for every grasp of trust they could get. And knowing nothing else, he supposed it wasn't exactly foolish - just naive - that the man would apply the same logic to him. But even still, presumptuous nonetheless.

Getting out in the light of the mother moon called to him, and tugged his heart. So he hesitantly nodded. Ace's smile shot up at even the slightest affirmative motion from the Dragon, who looked away to avoid acknowledging it. He didn't exactly have a lot of confidence this would be alright, but it was a chance he was willing to take as his longing festered in his chest.

"...We go out first. A dragon is good on his word, a human? Perhaps not."

Ace hopped up to his feet, slinging his jacket back on his shoulders in the blink of an eye as the dragon sort of awkwardly swayed, still having to hold the towel around his waist with one hand. Ace stopped in his little spin on his heel, snapping and pointing at the reptile.

"Right, you're naked. It's cold out. Uhhh... Lemme see, my stuff'll be kinda big on you, but I can lend you a couple things if you promise to not rip em up with those scales, cool?"

He flexed his scales, standing them all on the highest end he could voluntarily muster, posturing his shoulders a little. Ace smirked, assuming this to be a sarcastic retort. The dragon stared a little harder, but gave up when his intent to threaten and refusal to take orders clearly did not land, and he shuffled his scales back down to their more comfortable, relaxed, smooth position. He figured perhaps it was a little unnecessary anyways, in this instance. He was being offered more help. Even if he suspected a continued ulterior motive, it was wrong to repay kindness with snarls and teeth. He would have to evaluate his boundaries again.

Ace went back to his dresser, tossing over a clean pair of boxers, a baggy (and a little old) T-shirt, and he rummaged for a pair of loose enough pants to no avail. He stood himself back up to prop a fist on his hip and scratch his chin when he perked his glance to the dragon, who had in no time at all pushed the shirt aside and slipped the boxers on, albeit backwards. Ace was going to chuckle and try to suggest he turn them around, and apologize that they didn't quite want to hang onto his smaller figure, when the dragon shuffled his hands behind his back, peering over his shoulder at his tail, methodically tucking it through what would normally be the front opening of the garment, the slender limb only testing the outer limits of the seam somewhat at the base as his tail now swung freely behind him, holding the article up right where it needed to sit on his waistline, even if a bit loose. Ace held up his hands in a pointed prayer gesture, a little lost for words. That was not the intended use.

"Why do your clothes have a space for a tail? Are humans hiding something the rest of us don't know about?"

Ace put his hands to his mouth, really having to tell himself it wasn't worth it to argue and tell him this was very, very coincidental. He swallowed back his puzzlement, and nodded, his momentary exasperation still leaking out on his tone.

"It's uh.. not for a tail, but i guess it works out. Don't worry about it, you need any help with the shirt?"

The dragon crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, his wings shuffling audibly on his back. Ace nodded, right, right, there weren't wingholes in shirts. He was pretty sure he didn't have any that were that torn up, at least. He was about to get back to shuffling for pants, but none of those really had room for that tail either. The dragon seemed unconcerned with the idea, looking back at the window, wistfully at the moonglow.

"Do you.. Are you just gonna want to go out like that? Won't you be cold?"

The dragon shook his head, looking back at the human, already half back in his trance, eyes filled with a distant longing.

"Yes, I'll be fine."

Ace shrugged, maybe the dragon was just more built for the cold than he looked. He would have to take his word for it. He was just kind of amazed he was getting this kind of reception in the first place, cooperation that was willing and awake and not half feral. It felt like they were almost making too much progress, like he was supposed to think things were going well. He made a mental note to pay a little extra attention from here, and tucked his keys in his coat pocket, standing beside his bedroom door.

"Well, alright. Wait here a sec, I'm gonna make sure the coast is clear."

The human was.. making sure the other human wasn't present. The dragon had gotten so caught up with getting into the moonlight, he actually forgot about the woman that was living here. This world hadn't existed, for that sweet, homesick moment. When Ace returned in the doorway, he offered that thumbs up again, motioning for the reptile to follow after him. He could only .. take his word for it, that the passage would in fact be safe.

Sure enough, when he stepped cautiously past the doorframe, his ears perked with anxiety, he could hear the sounds of soft snores from the other bedroom, more clearly now that he was closer. Though he was still uncertain, that weight lifted his shoulders like a family of doves set free. He found himself holding his breath as he followed the man through the living room, and out the front door. He stopped at the frame, tucking himself around the wall, peering cautiously at the unknown human streets before him. Ace waved a little, offering a hand out, and whispering.

"It's okay, everyone's asleep at this hour. It's just us."

The dragon huffed a little at the hand in his way, but to his surprise, it was withdrawn before he even needed to chase it away himself. He looked up at the human, who shrugged and ticked his head to the side to beckon. The dragon slunk out the doorframe, holding himself close to the house, wings folding around his shoulders as if to make him look bigger, but his frame curling in on itself as if to look smaller. Ace shut the door as quiet as he could behind him, and just started walking around the building to the back. They passed by his bedroom window, and he made a note in passing that you could not in fact, see through the closed blinds from the outside, to his relief. The dragon followed, nervous little huffs leaving puffs of breathy fog always a step behind him before it dispersed off into the air, unseen.

When they reached the back, Ace knelt on one knee, facing the wall next to his bedroom, and nodded at the dragon again. He crossed his arms, teeth clenched to stop their chatter that dared imply he was colder than he looked - and he was just shy of tail-naked in the middle of the night looking cold. The unforgiving air was hungrier for his heat than he'd expected. Ace cupped his hands a little, and motioned them upwards a few times.

"If you hold onto my shoulder, step on my hand, I can help pick you up to make the climb easier."

He wanted to insist he could do it himself but when he looked at how the roof edge was so far above his head, his thigh began to ache just as a preemptive warning to not push his pride before his health on this one. He didn't particularly like it, having to touch the human, but if it got him somewhere he could safely bask, then it was the price he must pay. He pushed a clawed hand firmly on the man's shoulder to support his weight as he scrambled to hop his good foot into the platform his hands made, knowing he was going to need to kick off of it to actually get on the rooftop. Ace made no hesitation to lift the dragon clean off the ground the instant he felt a grip steady on him, drawing out a quick startled yelp and earning him a rough pinch of claws to the shoulder muscle. He squeezed an eye shut and tried to not pay the sting any mind, hoisting the dragon up to where his waist was about level with the roof edge.

He was a little shaky, but claws did wonders for his grip on the textured surface, allowing him to scramble up onto the angled platform, and push himself a few feet higher where he was no longer afraid of his tail dangling off the edge. He looked over his shoulder, curious how the other man would make it up alone, only to see him take a handful of steps back and practically sprint at the wall, jumping and kicking up off the side, snatching the edge in his hands.

The dragon's ears perked, almost a little impressed with the upper body strength he knew it required for Ace to pull himself up from just a hand grip, then pulling his knee high to help push the rest of his body upward. His breath rasped a little from the effort, but he seemed pretty happy with the result.

"Phew, haven't done that in a hot minute."

He caught a few more breaths, then pulling himself up closer to the roof's crest, the dragon following suit, keeping just over an arm's length distance between them. He looked skyward, his wings already pushing open and his tail whipping back and forth across to either side of his lap, the long way around from his back, scales clattering on shingles as Ace scooted himself a little farther away to make room for that wingspan. He had wanted to try talking to the dragon up here, but he didn't seem to even have the focus in him to be snappy now, it was like sitting a toddler in front of a television set. He was enthralled and silent.

Ace swore the dragon almost carried the faintest glow to him out here. He was admittedly pretty tired, so his vision blurred a little when he wasn't actively focusing, but he didn't worry too much - it was a pretty kind of blur right now, just fuzzy on the edges. A few of the dragon's scales seemed to be a pinch more reflective, almost iridescent at the right angle, though it was hard to see as that tail kept shifting in constant motion. He saw those muscles tensing again near the end, the scales lifting up in a neat little row along the sides. When he really looked closely, it almost looked like there were gaps under and between those scales, a little raw pink flesh exposed from under their keratin shelter.

While Ace was lost in observation, the dragon was lost in yearning, wistful heart tugged skyward past the limits of his body. His wings fluttered in half beats, his claws curled at the surface beneath him. He felt a mournful cry pooling in his lungs, a prayer for him to be rescued, but he knew no one was there to listen. He was surrounded by humans at best, and at worst, his enemy may still be in the area. At the time, this den was the safest place he had. He caught on that thought, hesitantly, and stopped his eyes from wandering off the sky and to the human.

The Human had brought a stranger into their den, given up their nest for him, treated his wounds, brought him food, hidden him from his own denmate, fed him, and even brought him out here for the express purpose of.. enjoyment. He made it evidently clear he was free to go at his own whim, even if it was a double edged sword because of his immobility. The human was being kind to him. He was being kind, even if foolish, despite how defensively the dragon treated him in return. He first assumed it was a ploy to get his guard down, but he wasn't so sure the human was that conniving now. While humans were by no means as easy to pick up on as other dragons, he knew the taste of danger all too well, and.. After a little time in his nest, he still picked up no such thing. He was practically searching for it, but was coming up empty.

Oh, mother moon, give him guidance. He didn't want to drop his guard so easily, not here, not like this, not with everything he'd been raised to believe about the humans, but at the same time, he.. didn't want to just be a jerk to someone sincerely trying to help. How could he know for sure what intentions the human carried?

Ace was a little entranced. The dragon had stopped waving his tail about, and while he brought his knees up towards his chest, he planted his hands firmly between them, tail curled around his ankles like a feline. His wings stopped moving, hovered loosely at his sides, though the lack of webbing did little to shelter him from the breeze and the cold. He was shivering, tuned out of the world around him, staring up at the moon. It tugged at something in Ace's chest, the bittersweet beauty of the reptile - so damaged, so forlorn, but even in that state was breathtaking to look at. The soft rise and fall of his shoulders as he took shallow, slow breaths. His ears rested low, but softly twitched every so often in the breeze, not tense like he'd usually see them. Though curled over itself, his features were smooth, relaxed, pointed scales flowing down in speckles and patches along curves and twists of body.

Ace stopped his admiring short when the dragon finally broke gaze from the sky, and softly turned his half lidded eyes to face the human. He felt embarrassment bubble up swiftly, he hadn't meant to let his eyes wander so freely, and he felt the harsh jolt of a record scratch in his chest as he quickly looked away, not really sure how to explain himself, or if he should even try.

"I-i, uh, I mean, sorry, I didn't-"

He babbled, stumbling over his words, but was cut off by the dragon's surprisingly quiet, soft tone.

"I'm ready to go back inside, now."

Ace was a little caught off guard, looking back up to not quite meet eyes, and saw no irritation or discomfort, just the gentle rounds of the man's cheeks, flecks of keratin rounds decorating them like fine little jewels alongside his freckles. He shook his head a little, and nodded, looking back away and beginning his careful descent from the peak of the roof.

"Oh - cool, I'll help you back down, lemme hop down real quick."

The dragon watched with unadmitted curiosity at the human's attitude. He was so hard to read, like he was being so careful to portray himself just the right way, not too loud, not too intentful, not too clever. He squinted softly as the human slid off the roof, landing in the grass below with a soft thud. This made it so difficult to tell if he was being truly sincere. He was no fool of a dragon, though, and he felt a little smile threaten to expose itself at the edge of his mouth as he came up with an idea.

"Come on down, I'll catch you."

He was going to push the limits of the human's filter and get under their shell to their true nature. He may be a dragon, but he could outfox a human.

He carefully brought himself down to the edge of the roof, the human standing with arms outstretched. He cocked his head a little, but hung his feet over, and the human motioned to keep moving.

"Jump down, I'll catch you before you fall, I promise."

He looked down skeptically. The fall wasn't too far, it wouldn't be the death of him if the human failed, though with his wounds, it would certainly be unpleasant. But given it wasn't life or death, and if he jumped down on his own, it would end up hurting either way, it wasn't much of a risk. He conceded, steeling himself for impact and pushing off the edge, his stomach rising into his chest for a moment at the brief falling sensation.

But his heart rose into his mouth at the sensation of touch sliding up his middle, weight catching just below his ribs. He contained all but a fraction of a squeak, the warmth of the human hands sudden and tremendous on his cold, wind bitten skin.

Ace winced at the slide of a few sharp scales on his fingers, but brought himself to a partial crouch with the dragon's fall, softening the descent considerably and gently setting him to his feet, releasing his grip as quickly as he took it and standing back upright. He rubbed his hands together for a second, the heat having been sapped so swiftly from them in just that short contact, the poor dragon felt like an ice cube.

"Jeez, man, you shoulda just told me you were that cold, here."

He slid his jacket off, the dragon still a little shook from the way his heart fluttered at that touch, the ghosts of fingertips still warm on his skin. He pulled his arms up to his chest, ears twitching as he tried to process the foreign feeling, mind jolting back to reality as he felt warmth wrap around his torso. Ace awkwardly draped his jacket over the dragon's shoulders, and though it did not rest well over his wings, they were folded tightly enough to his back to allow the oversized article to catch on his shoulders. Ace tugged it gently around him, not bothering with the zipper, and somewhat pulling the edge towards the dragon's hands, as if to request he hold them.

"There, hold this, and let's get you back inside. I'll get the stove going, some food oughta warm you up."

The leather was tough on the outside, but what he hadn't realized was how plush the inside was. It was lined with what felt like rabbit's fur, though the scent was not that of hide, and it held all the human's warmth within it. He intended to inspect the fur, flicking his tongue at it discreetly as he followed the human back around the house, and felt his cheeks flush a little as he processed the worn in scent of the human, overpowering most else in the clothing.

It was a warm smell. It was a little soft, but tough, like deer skin. It carried the faint scent of ash and dust, the tangy spark of citrus, an alluring savory curl of smoke and heat. And with another little curious flick of his tongue as they stepped into the doorframe, he picked up something he didn't expect. He could very, very faintly pick up a chemical signal.

Before he could truly register what tickled on his tongue, his ears perked sharply at the sound of stirring in the home, and Ace ushered him quickly through the bedroom door, closing it with a soft haste behind them, back to the door with his mouth pulled tense, eyes shut as he listened with his breath held in his chest. The dragon ticked an ear up, able to locate the sound of footsteps lightly padding to the wall, a door creaking on it's hinges down the hall, and after a moment of silence, the door latching closed with the steps padding back into the room. Ace breathed out his sigh of relief, sinking his posture a little.

"Marie must have heard us get off the roof. I'll have to hold off on cooking for a hot minute, at least until she's back asleep."

The dragon didn't seem too concerned by the other human's unrest, this time, if only because he was still fairly distracted. He pulled the edges of the jacket a little more closed around him, hunching his chin into the soft trim around his neck. He wanted another little taste, just to confirm he wasn't reading this wrong, but didn't think he could get away with it unseen this time. Ace seemed to glance him over, a soft smile on his features, before walking past him, back towards the bed, and gestured at it once the dragon turned to look at him.

"Well, you wanna come sit down so I can get to work?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also huge shout-out to my best friend that has been super encouraging to me on discord while I'm writing this self indulgent homogay disaster, if you're lurking and reading this u know who u are you absolute fucking Queen I love you
> 
> I swear dragon boy was gonna get re-bandaged in this one but like I got caught up in his conflicting thoughts and Ace staring at a pretty boy. I promise it's gonna happen in the next chapter and it's going to be everything I wanted and more bc look at them, they're gay. I gotta update the summary at this rate because the dragon boy is turning out to be less of a little grumpus than I had originally planned, oops. Just a defensive boy. These two boys are both social disasters and still don't know what they're doing interacting with each other.


	5. Bandages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small TW- mention of implied self harm near the bottom.
> 
> This is honestly more fluff but like, also some oblivious gay.

He had almost forgotten the human intended to cover his wounds again. He wasn't thrilled, but a deal was a deal, and the human hadn't pulled any tricks along the way, so he had no good reason to deny what he had agreed to. He let the smallest of huffs escape in a sigh, and he brought himself over to the bed, sitting pressed to the footboard with the coat still wrapped around his form, knees swiftly brought up to join his torso in the pocket of warmth. Ace had to assume this was the okay to work, considering the lack of protest, and sat himself down within reach of the dragon, collecting back up his supplies.

Ace took his time with sorting out his tools - the jar of cream, the gauze, the bandages, the wipes, the cloth he'd gotten as a couple makeshift wraps, and the painkillers. They weren't super strong, more like what he would take for a bad headache, but it was the best he could get on short notice and without a good excuse, and it would hopefully help take some of the edge off, assuming he could get the dragon to take them later. He could have had everything set up on the nightstand table in less than a minute, but he caught the dragon watching him, and wordlessly gave him the time to see each item so nothing could come as a surprise. When he finished setting up, he turned to the reptile, hands on his own lap.

"I know it's a little chilly, but you're gonna have to take the jacket off for me. The heat's on, so it shouldn't be too bad in here."

The dragon snapped out of his little fixation, having been curiously eyeing everything the man sat down on the table, and looked away swiftly, stretching his legs back down with hesitation and a sting as he removed the jacket from his body, suddenly feeling a tad exposed. He curled his tattered wing frames around his shoulders to compensate, leaving the coat half folded over the foot board, and flinched a little when the human scooted his body a little closer, the bed sinking under his weight.

"I'm just moving so I can reach you, don't worry. I'm gonna dress the cut on your chest first, okay?"

He held the jar of cream, lid removed, and to the dragon's slight surprise, seemed to be deliberately waiting for approval. The dragon took a small breath to steady himself, bracing for contact, and nodded his head, keeping a cautious stare on the human's hands. His heart picked up, nervous adrenaline telling him to prepare for the worst, be ready to break away, be ready to defend himself, don't let someone so close to his vulnerable flesh.

Ace took a small dollop of the cream on his fingertip, and nearly stopped the dragon's heart with the most delicate, gentle touch to the wound. The medicine was cool, cold almost, the tiniest bit numbing, but heat rushed to his skin, it tingled and tickled and sparked along where the man's hand brushed along as he pulled the medicine down along the wound, so softly it didn't even hurt, not one sting. It was relieving the pain, if anything, with the way the cream started to numb the surface it touched. His chest rose and fell swiftly, his breath picking up faster with his heart resuming it's flutter, but he didn't know what to do with the feeling, it was unfamiliar, it was sudden. Ace's hand pulled gently down from the top of the wound at his neck, all the way down his chest and abdomen, lightly over his stomach as the dragon felt every muscle tense and shudder, finally lifting off just above his waistline where the cut grew shallow. Ace looked apologetic, holding his hand awkwardly in the air and staring at the dragon's midriff.

"Sorry, that must have hurt, i'll try to be more gentle."

Ace felt bad, he was trying to be as careful as he could possibly be, but he must have been a little too hard over his stomach, with how he grew so tense and looked so fearful. He readied another little scoop of the medicine, having only drawn a line down the center of the wound. It wasn't immensely wide, but enough so that he wasn't able to reach the edges of it by just going through the center line, and with how red the skin shone around the small scabs, he feared it was a little infected already, not having been able to cover it properly the first time. If he took care of it right from here forward, though, it should be okay, it didn't look too bad.

He lightly dotted the cream along the perimeter of the gash, intently focused and apparently oblivious to the flush that was creeping under the dragon's eyes. He thought it hurt? It was the opposite of hurt, he wasn't sure he'd ever been handled so softly in his life. Not even as a hatchling, fragile and new, was he given such a careful touch. The human was handling him like he was as breakable as a fresh snow crystal. He would have almost been offended at how delicately he was being treated - he was no fragile hatchling anymore - if it had not felt so ... nice.

Ace dotted along the upper portion first, and was exceptionally cautious along his stomach and below. The dragon couldn't even feel his fingers, he was just barely letting the medicine stick and moving on. He was tense, but much less so, and the heat that simmered in his belly started to calm. He eased his breath, collecting himself, but not for long. He nearly hiccuped when the human's palm rested sideways at his collarbone, two fingers placed so softly over the edges of the wound to drag along, smearing the medicine to properly cover every part of it. His skin flushed with the heat of the father sun, and he had to deliberately hold his breath to stop the tiniest, weakest rumble from bubbling up.

Ace softly apologized again, eyes not breaking from his track of motion to meet the dragon's. The wound was hot, it was definitely sore and trying to heal, and his concerns of infection were continued. He only hoped the medicine wasn't uncomfortable, it was certainly making his fingertips numb from the contact, and that made it a little harder to tell how much pressure he was putting down. He had to steady his hand by holding it to the dragon's body, which proved effective. He pulled down along the first edge, stopping about where his rib cage ended, and brought his hand back up to trace the other side. The wound seemed most sensitive on the lower half, it must be deeper there, so starting with the upper half would serve as quick practice for him and to give the dragon time to brace himself however need be for the inevitable sting of the second portion.

"You doing okay?"

He asked passively, finishing the second line to the ribs and pulling his hand back to shake out his muscles a moment so his fingers wouldn't lock into place. He hesitated when he reached back for the dragon and saw him flinch, and looked back up to meet his face, which was covered by hands and messy hair, dry by now and poofed out in thick tufts.

The dragon was about to lose his mind. He didn't know why he was so embarrassed, but he felt so warm and pleasant, and something in his chest really wasn't sure if it wanted this to stop or if it wanted to feel the entirety of that warm hand on his body. It made his mind kind of foggy, awkwardly so, and it was like he was short circuiting, he could hardly sort his thoughts, and that felt so unlike himself. Was the medicine doing this? It was strange, and it numbed his pain, was it numbing his brain as well? He parted his fingers to stare through at the human, who had concern in his eyes.

"...Yes, I'm okay. Just.. Sensitive."

He wasn't lying, at least. Ace nodded, and made a note that maybe he was still being a little too heavy with his fingers, though he wasn't sure how he could be any more gentle than he already was. He didn't have bad motor control by any means, but this might be out of his league. He wished he could ask Marie for help, she was a lot better with this sort of thing than him, she was always helping him clean up when they were younger and he'd get himself scuffed up on the daily on his 'adventures' - though he was really just running around town, climbing things he shouldn't be climbing, falling off bikes in gravel roads he wasn't supposed to be riding down, getting stuck in trees he swore he was gonna jump out of and then getting too chicken when the world below him seemed just a little too far away. She was always there to pick him up when he fell and help him get cleaned up before they went home, though, and it took the edge off all the trouble he would have gotten in if he'd come home without her handiwork.

While his thoughts trailed off to his childhood, partners in crime with his informal sister, the trouble they always worked their way into, the fights he'd gotten in for her sake, the fights she'd won for his, his fingers worked lighter than a down feather across the lower portion of the dragon's stomach.

The dragon could think of nothing else.

He tensed harshly, muscles involuntarily gripping themselves lest they shudder and quiver under that touch. The human didn't seem to notice as much this time, and looked a little lost in his head. He was able to slowly collect his breathing with that in mind - the human seemed to do that every so often, his eyes growing distant but not lost, and a few minutes later he always seemed to come back to reality. The dragon couldn't help but wonder what was on his mind, sometimes. His own was filled with a fog he didn't understand, having to bite his lower lip and inhale sharply at the last little corner of his gash being traced just above the seam of the boxers he'd been lent. When the hand lifted, he almost found himself clinging to the ghost of touch, the warm impression it left behind for just a moment. The human looked back up, wiping the small trace of the cream off his fingers onto his pants, setting the jar aside while he reached for the gauze, silently looking back up at his chest and down at the box, counting out a few pieces to cover the length of the exposed flesh.

"I'm gonna cover things up with these, okay? The tape is kinda uncomfortable, but I'm gonna need to put at least a little on the sides so it doesn't just fall right off."

The dragon held back a soft huff. He brought his hands back down from his face, hovered over the wound, looking down to inspect it. He could still see the injury beneath the eggshell white paste of sorts, the little bits of blood that mixed with it in the center, the scabs that were trying to form to protect him. The deeper parts still stung, but the surface layers didn't hurt anymore, wherever the medicine touched. He was relieved at that. He was also relieved that his head was clearing up, his skin cooling off again. The numbness must have been a stress reaction he wasn't used to, after all, he wasn't used to touch that didn't come from a fight. He could only assume he associated it so strongly with pain that his body's natural reaction was to panic. That thought in mind comforted him that nothing was wrong with him, and he could tackle the internal issue more confidently.

Ace silently arranged the pads in a line on the bed that matched up to the crooked shape of his chest wound, and ran a line of the tape along them, connecting them from several squares of fluff to one misshapen strip. He held it up a few inches away to compare, make sure he didn't miss any spots or misalign, and seemed satisfied. He set it back down to line a strip of tape across it near the top, center, and bottom, so he could fasten it somewhat securely to the dragon, when the smallest grumble slipped out of the reptile's throat.

Ace looked up, confused as to why he would growl. The dragon looked awkward, and cast his eyes aside. Ace slowly moved his hands off the bandage and back a little, hoping he hadn't made a sudden move to offend somehow in his focus.

"Sorry, everything okay?"

The dragon nodded slowly, brow a little furrowed. He had been passively staring at the human work, the way his hands moved so fluidly, so softly, and he was preparing himself for the contact again, knowing the puffy white material was about to be applied, when his body reacted. He hadn't meant for the little growl to escape, nor to sound defensive, and now he felt the need to explain himself when he would have rather kept it quiet, but the human stared up at him so intently.

"..Yeah. I'm not used to this, touch doesn't.. happen outside of fights."

Ace eased up a little at the explanation, taking it at face value, and his concern softened. That was why he was so tense, it wasn't that he was pressing too hard (he swore he was being as delicate as a man could possibly be, anyways) - it was unfamiliar and he expected it to hurt. He knew animals didn't like things touching their belly, it was their most vulnerable spot, that must be why it was especially bad there. He shook his head a little, trying to not compare the dragon too heavily to being 'just an animal' - he was clearly much more than that, but it was the quickest connection his brain drew regardless. He was animalistic, but not animal.

"That explains a lot, honestly. You've got nothin' to worry about though, I dunno if I could take a dragon in a fight if I wanted to, haha."

Ace chuckled a little playfully, a smile dancing upward on his lips. The dragon perked an ear. The human spoke a little differently, every so often. More loosely, his words would slur together just a little. He had a theory. He nodded, and glanced back at the bandage, which Ace caught onto quickly. He picked it up off the bed, leaning his body forward a little so he could apply it properly, gently lining it up and only pressing down to smooth out the adhesive that stretched away from the injury. While he was focused in, and a little closer, in that moment the dragon took an opportunity. His pupils slit a little, and he flicked his tongue farther out, the human not noticing it just barely touch his hair.

The dragon pulled his tongue back, and swallowed. He had learned from the jacket that the humans had their own little chemical signals, just much, much weaker than a dragon's. He couldn't tell what the human was thinking or feeling because he was too far away, didn't put off a strong enough signal. But the signal was there, it just lingered on his body.

The human was relaxed for that moment, honest.

He had a way to read him, now. He would need a few more chances to test his theory, but he might just have a way to understand him without those chemical signals he relied so heavily on.

Ace sat back up, satisfied with the first bandage complete. His hands rested on his hips, looking it up and down, happy to see it was snug and in just the right place. The dragon looked pensive, but he could now assume he was battling his defensive reflexes, and paid it less mind. He readied the jar again, motioning for the dragon's attention, who snapped out of his little trance quickly.

"I'm gonna get that bite wound on your leg next, if you're okay with it?"

The dragon looked down at his thigh, the perforated circle stretching around almost his entire leg, the piercing fangs having sunk in from the outside, nearly meeting at the inner curve. The farthest corners reached from just below his hip, down to a few inches above his knee. It was the deepest near the inner side, where the long killing fangs had hooked into his flesh. He nodded, though, because with the knowledge that the medicine numbed the pain, it would be nice to take the sting away - and now that he knew his body was trying to panic at the threat of contact, he could assure himself he wasn't being harmed.

He lifted his leg a little, holding it arched with his knee up, foot resting on the mattress to allow access to both sides of the wound, and Ace didn't take but a moment to get more medicine on his fingers, having to prop his other hand just past the dragon's ankle on the bed to hold his weight as he touched the outer part of the ring first, the wound much thinner though longer. It should only take one go-around, and then he could start putting together the ring of gauze and tape it together much like the one for his chest, and if he could get the dragon to agree, he'd use those cloth strips to wrap his leg and his chest before moving on. They'd help stop the adhesive from slowly working off, and it might help keep him a little warmer, too.

The dragon's heart caught again, and he tried to slow it down, to tell himself he was okay, he wasn't being threatened. This was unusual, unfamiliar, but it was okay, if the human wanted to hurt him, he'd have done it on the first wound-  
His beating heart started to melt.

The way the bed sunk a little by his leg, the way the touch on his outer thigh sent shivers through his veins, the way it sparked and crackled hot upward as that gentle hand curved just around his inner thigh. It was so soft, so tender, so innocently harmless and so new. Ace made a fairly quick, but gentle swipe of his hand around the ring on the upper half of his thigh, then just as fast worked over the underside, carefully around the skin and scales, the medicine coating it adequately enough for him to not feel the need to make any touch ups, and moved himself back, shifting his weight and sitting back upright as he fiddled with more patches of gauze.

He'd never felt this kind of fear before in his life. He wasn't entirely sure what to call it - his heart raced, his body started leaking out adrenaline, his scales lifted at the edges, his breath caught. It wasn't the way he felt when he thought he was about to meet his end, just a few days ago, it was strange and hot - that was sharp, cold, it filled his lungs with snarls and his ears with the rush of his blood pounding. He hardly even noticed as Ace leaned forward again, and he almost jumped out of his skin when he felt the light bandaging brush his scales.

"Sorry, almost done with this one, unless you wanna put it on?"

Ace withdrew, offering the dragon the ring of padding in both hands. He looked it over, taking quick, small breaths, and after a moment, nodded in acceptance, taking it in his claws. Ace watched carefully to make sure he knew what he was doing, but to his relief the dragon seemed to have no problem securing it without any trouble or help, and he reached back for two of the strips of fabric, holding one up for visibility.

"If you wanna tie this around your leg, I can help get the other one around your chest. If I tie it at your back, I can keep it off your wings."

The dragon really didn't know what was going on with himself, but at least it was almost over, right? And the human seemed to know what he was doing with the process, so he was gonna just have to take his word for what needed to be done. He took the first wrap to tie around his leg himself, comfortably securing the knot near the front of his leg after looping the fabric a few times to cover the entirety of the bandaging. Ace gave him a thumbs up of approval, and motioned his finger in a little twirl at the dragon.

"You wanna turn around for me so I can get at your back?"

The dragon gave a tiny sigh of relief. His back was less vulnerable, he would be able to handle that so much better. Sure, his wings rested there, but he could hold those out of the way, and while not so much in this smaller form, his body was much more durable on that side. It should trigger his defenses considerably less. He carefully used his arms to hold his weight as he turned himself around, glancing back over his shoulder as the human made a small inward hiss. He was wincing, looking at his figure.

"...What?"

Ace hadn't really taken a good look at it before now, but his back was littered in scrapes and bruises from the fall. He had fallen on his back, after all, so it only made sense, and thankfully none of them were very big, but they were plentiful still. He turned to grab the smaller bandages, scanning over to judge which wounds would need the medicine and which would just benefit from coverage.

"...I'm gonna need to clean up your back before I can wrap anything up, your uh, landing doesn't look like it was too kind to you."

The dragon sighed a little, having hoped this was almost done, but evidently there was more to do. He shifted his tail out of the way, and crossed his arms over the wooden foot board, hunching his back a little and holding his wings to the side to allow access to the sore surface. Ace wasn't going to vocally question the quick acceptance, but he wasn't entirely expecting it either. He could only hope the dragon was starting to understand his intentions were honest.

The touch didn't get to him nearly as much, this time, and he was able to relax significantly more, as he expected. Hands worked over his skin, around patches of scales, especially thick between his wings and along his spine, dotting over little abrasions and rubbing little circles on the bruises. The medicine wasn't going to heal a bruise, but the numbing still helped. It was.. kind of soothing, now. He still felt a bit warm, but this was a more comfortable warm, that lulled him to ease his muscles and let his ears fall relaxed, eyes half closed. It left warm trails on his skin where hands had traced, it tingled a little gently, a pleasant shiver creeping up his spine a few times, the sharp points where the bone spiked upward flexing a little at the surface of his skin. He melted into the wooden board for support, almost falling asleep at the gentle bubbling sensation that crept along his back.

Ace had admittedly gotten all the spots he wanted to treat. The cuts were bandaged over, the bruises were gently numbed, and he had scooted himself a little closer behind the dragon when he needed to reach his shoulders. But as he was trying to work one of the last bruises, he felt the dragon's body rumble a little, and as he was about to pull away and apologize for what must have stung, he stopped.

The dragon was purring.

So he cautiously ran a few fingertips over skin, no medicine involved this time, weaving around a bandaid and a few scales, still just as lightly. The dragon's throat rumbled softly as his shoulders rose and fell with his slow, calm breaths. He wasn't so tense anymore, it seemed. He cautiously still put his palm down on his back, and applied a little pressure, pushing up to his shoulder blades and then back down again, stopping a little below his rib cage. A little smile rose his cheeks as he was rewarded with a slightly deeper purr. Apparently, the dragon liked back rubs.

For a little while, he just worked his hands over skin and scale, beside the dragon's wings, careful to limit himself to the box of shoulder to ribs, not wanting to cross any boundary lines and give the wrong message. The dragon sleepily rumbled and shivered a few times, and his tail tip twitched once or twice, but nothing compared to when he brought his fingers down the center of his spine, his long nails catching a few upheld scales on the patch between his wings. His wings fluttered and twitched a little, his form sunk, melting a little further into the foot board, an arm falling off it's perch and hanging over the edge. He paused a moment, and reached back up to the top of the patch, gently scratching at it, nails just barely getting under the edges of scale as they rose upwards, allowing him access to the little bits of skin that were otherwise covered by the tiny plates. He could see his scales twitch a little on his spine, those unusually sharp spine bones stretching the skin as he tensed and eased, eventually settling relaxed as he lightly pulled his nail tips down the spine and back up the sides to offer gentle little back scratches near his shoulders.

He was honestly a little caught up in the activity, but the dragon seemed pretty content with it, and he found himself a little fuzzy in the chest at those soft purrs. He could wrap him up and finish treating him in a little bit, it was always nice to soothe the nerves a little like this, and the dragon seemed to have needed it.

\--------------------

Marie lay awake in her bed, silent. She had heard a little commotion on the roof earlier, and it woke her up, but she was used to it, she knew Ace liked to sit up there when he needed some air. She got up to use the restroom, but found the door locked from her side. Ace must have forgotten to unlock it when he got out of the shower earlier, no worries though - if he was outside, she could just get in through his room. She had gone down the hall, into his room, and turned on the light. There were medical supplies on his nightstand and at his bed. His blanket was shoved in a ball on the floor, and it had been stained with blood. She didn't want to dig in his business, but a pang of concern hit her. Was he injured and hadn't told her? Either way, she still needed the restroom, and she would have to try to get something out of him tomorrow.

She walked in the bathroom to find a wad of messy, bloody bandages on the floor. A little blood still on the shower floor. A strip of torn, messy fabric hung over the shower wall. He was absolutely hurt, wasn't he. Where was he hurt, why didn't he tell her? Was he getting into trouble? Is that why he wasn't talking to her about it? Is that why he was so off? Did he do it to himself - she prayed he hadn't fallen back into that habit - did someone hurt him? Her shoulders tensed at the thought. If someone hurt him and made him afraid to tell her, there would be hell to pay. She knew it was strange that he came home scratched up the other day, but she believed him that he'd just had a run in with the brambles in the woods. Did he get attacked in the woods? Was it an animal? She supposed she couldn't be vengeful to a wild animal, but she would still be pretty upset he didn't tell her about it so she could help him. She knew he hated her fussing, but for as tough as he was on the outside, Marie was well aware how poorly his body took to injury and infection, and was not about to let him wind up in the hospital half dead in a month over something that should have been taken care of immediately.

She'd gone about her business and decided to leave the bandages as they were, to not force him to face the realization she knew until she could ease it gently. She unlocked the bathroom to her side, and after making sure to turn off the light in his room and shut his door behind her, went back to bed, held awake with worry and wonder. She eventually heard him come back inside, and got up to try and catch him before he made it back to bed, to talk to him, but by the time she got to her door, he'd already locked himself back up. Tonight wasn't the night to talk about it, then.

Tomorrow night, she would be getting some answers, if she had anything to say about it. Either he would tell her, or she would go out and find out herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> : ^ )
> 
> Local dragon? Gay. Local human? Gay. Local Marie? Catching on.
> 
> Are we ever going to learn the dragon's name?? Yes, someday, he has one, I swear.
> 
> If I update a little slower for a while, it's because I'm about to move apartments! I'm not abandoning this!! I plan to see it through to the end!!


	6. Little steps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW for this chapter: Self harm  
> It's not meant to be depressive, but it happens and a history with it is implied.

The dragon hadn't even noticed how far he'd drifted off, having let his mind wander drowsily under the comfort of gentle scratches and touch over his back. He thought of his nest, he thought of his long flights that began far too early in moonrise and ended a little too far later than moonfall, how many places he'd seen between here and his home. He wondered how his clutchmates were faring, how his mother was faring. If he would ever get to see them again - though he doubted that thought. He wondered if they thought of him as often as he thought of them. He wondered if they missed him - though he certainly did not miss the life he left behind. Hopefully, they had grown to do the same.

His eyelids fluttered back open, though, when he felt his shoulder being shook gently. As the puffy clouding thoughts parted, he pushed himself back upright off the foot board, and glanced towards the window, confirming it was still dark out, so he couldn't have been zoned out for too long. Ace smiled a little awkwardly, though it went unseen, as he reached back over to loop the white fabric strip around the dragon's front a few times, crossing over both shoulders, tying it securely just between his wings with no resistance.

"How's that feel?"

The dragon was still a little out of it, but looked down, inspecting the wrap. It was a little snagged on his shoulder scales, but it left him plenty of freedom and mobility, and it wasn't the same material as the towel he'd borrowed before, so he found it much more comfortable as it only seemed to take in a fraction of the oils, which served to help prevent the snagging as it slid over keratin more easily. He glanced over his shoulder at the human, tilting his head with an ear lifted as he scanned facial features. Ace's eyes were baggy and puffy, his lashes were clumped and his dark eyeshadow was no longer masking the purple that crept under his eyes as his exhaustion started to set in as he sat idle.

"...It's comfortable."

Ace flashed a smile and a thumbs up, looking down to the dragon's tail, who reflexively yanked it back around his side and cradled the exposed bone tip near his chest. Ace leaned back a little, already setting the bandages back aside in the wooden box. He could take a hint, there was a boundary line. The dragon huddled a little anxiously, claws trailing around patches of missing or broken scales, cupping gently behind the empty end. It hadn't had much time to work, but he still wished it would heal faster. For the moment being, it still looked exposed, a powdering of dried blood coating it with a sparkle akin to rock candy, and the line down the sides of his tail was still ripped clean at the root, but the scales still lifted, the muscle still flexed, and he found himself dragging his forked tongue over it tenderly, as if it would make it feel better. To an extent, it did, but only in his heart.

"If you want, you can patch up that yourself. I know skin, you know scales, yeah?"

The dragon looked up, the human having gotten off the bed and taken a few steps back. He looked back to the supplies that were left so neatly on the bed within his reach, and back to the human with caution. But he had to admit, if nothing else, the medicine took the edge off the pain, and he hoped it would be what his body needed to speed things along, so he nodded and quietly turned himself back around, tail draped loosely over his lap, and eyed up the jar. He was fairly certain he could do this himself, having seen the human do it twice out of three times now-  
His back.

He hadn't even remembered when he spaced out, or why, or what happened between getting lost in his head and being nudged back to reality. His eyes went a little wide, and he craned his neck to try and look behind his shoulders, only to find nothing out of place. Just smaller bandages littering his form. He looked up with a start when Ace chuckled a little, awkwardly scratching his cheek and averting eye a little.

"Your back should be fine, nothing looked too bad. I uh.. You like your back scratched."

The dragon breathed out a small sigh of relief - no wonder he was so relaxed, he wasn't tampered with, just groomed. It had been years since the last time he was offered any form of preening by another, his own mother having been the most recent occurrence. He wasn't entirely sure why the human would do it, considering they were by no means family, and hardly knew one another, but.. It wasn't unheard of to extend the olive branch to a stranger like that once in a while, though it did make him seem a little socially tone deaf. But that wasn't the first thing to sound such about him, and he had to remind himself that humans clearly communicated differently than his own kind, so these kinds of things may have different rules surrounding them.

"I.. suppose so, yes. ...What does preening mean to your kin?"

Ace blinked a few times, looking over the dragon who stared up at him with tilted head.

"Preening? Ya mean, like, a bird?"

The dragon shook his head, and as if to make his point more clear, gestured at his tail, lightly scratching against the grain and back where a patch remained minimally scuffed.

"No, no, what you did before."

It clicked, and Ace passively pointed towards the dragon's back.

"Oh, the back scratch, uh.. I mean, most people like touch, and it's nice to do once in a while for each other. Friends, family, loved ones, usually."

The dragon nodded, so it was similar enough in theory. While for a dragon, it served more as a grooming exercise that brought a strengthened bond alongside it, humans seemed to do it more for the bond. But then his ear ticked, and his eyes lifted back to meet the human's.

"So why did you do it for me?"

Ace coughed a little awkwardly, it had felt pretty natural and normal until he was being questioned so directly about it.

"I guess it just sorta happened, I thought you were likin' it, uh, did I cross a line?"

The dragon pondered for a moment. It was a little strange, but somehow, didn't leave a sour taste in his mouth at all. It left him feeling a little warm and fuzzy. It was innocent, and there was no harm done, even if it was unusual.

"..No, It's alright. ..It was nice."

Ace breathed a small sigh of relief, having already chastised himself for not thinking to question if the reaction he'd gotten was truly a positive one or not. Truth be told, he wasn't thinking - he missed that sort of comfort, himself. Sure, he and Marie would cuddle up to each other on the couch sometimes, or they'd offer each other a quick shoulder massage to work out the knots after a really busy week at the tavern, but nothing was ever drawn out and in the moment like this had been. It was a different kind of touch, in a way. He couldn't exactly place it, other than perhaps the charm if it being someone new. He nodded, turning with a little wave.

"That's a relief - I'm gonna borrow the restroom for a minute, wash off my hands again. Let me know if you end up needing any help with your tail, yeah?"

The dragon turned back to his tail in silent understanding, moving to the jar and shivering a little at the cool touch of it to damaged flesh and skin, but relieved at the gentle numbing it provided. He found himself being especially meticulous around his missing chunk, getting under each and every scale individually along the sides, and having to refrain from licking the end wound lest his tongue go numb as well, fearing the impact on his sensory intake. He may have been a little overly generous about portions, but it did the job just fine, even if a little bit of ointment mushed out the sides of the bandages when he carefully pressed them on, having to wrap the tape entirely around his tail to even somewhat secure it, as the adhesive didn't take well to the thin oily coating.

While he worked on himself, Ace stood in the closed bathroom silent and still. He had come in to wash up and such, and closed the door for a little privacy. He glanced down at the mess of bandages on the floor, sighing that he would have to sneak those out to the trash tonight, too. He knelt down to collect them, and as he stood up, he saw Marie's side was unlocked. He had locked it, he swore. He had not unlocked it, he swore again. Marie had been awake when they came back inside, she must have had to come around while they were on the roof, which means she saw. She was gonna ask questions. He didn't have any cover story, nothing she would believe, his scratches weren't bad enough to have bled that much, but he recalled telling her he'd went overboard with the gauze when she asked why it was missing. She was absolutely going to think he was hiding an injury from her, and want to know where it came from. He could work with that.

He slid back to his room, door locked behind him for good measure. The dragon was still cradling his tail, having made quick work of his injuries in the time Ace was in the other room. Ace dropped the bloodstained padding in his trash can a few at a time, as if counting them, before nodding and shuffling to the gauze box, counting out several pieces and setting them up with a little tape. The dragon eyed him curiously, though not too startled, as the human's focus clearly wasn't directed at him.

"What are you doing?"

He was fairly certain they had patched all his injuries, shy of little nicks here and there, and his wings, which he planned to handle himself much like his tail. Ace didn't even look up at the dragon, rolling up his left sleeve up above his shoulder, and reaching for the leather sheath on his hip.

The dragon was snarling before he knew what he was even doing, his brain acting before his mind. He had made such a strong mental note that he suspected the sheath contained a weapon, and for the human to make such a sudden move towards it with no warning and no words sparked his defenses, his scales raising despite the sting or the bandages trying to hold them down, his tail whipping about. Ace stopped short, tense, and turned carefully back to the dragon, realizing his mistake.

"Sorry, sorry, hold on, this isn't what it looks like."

He hissed lowly, though he wished he could ease up. It was more natural reflex than conscious thought, and Ace caught onto that as he watched the dragon struggle to avert his eyes and steady his breathing, taking it as a chance to explain himself.

"I need an excuse for the bandages, I'm not gonna hurt ya, honest."

The reptile slowed his breathing forcefully to a more consistent, even pace. He looked back at the human, scanning him over, but his ear ticked at that loose tone. He chose to trust his social instincts over his self preservation ones, and flicked his tongue with curiosity.

"What's the blade for, then?"

Ace winced a little, slowly removing it from it's sheath and opening the curved blade, ring finger hooked in the loop at the base of the handle, holding it loosely so the dragon could see it openly for a moment. He opted to not answer the question verbally, wanting to just get this over with, and turned his shoulder away so as to spare the sight of his handiwork, making several swift, sharp lines. He hissed inwardly at the sting, trying not to mind too much the feeling of warmth starting to pool and seep over the edges, running down to his elbow. He wiped the blade on his jeans, folding it back up one handed and tucking it away, turning back to see the dragon wide-eyed and in shock.

"Why- what did you just do?"

Ace hovered his hand over his fresh lacerations, as if to continue shielding them from the dragon's sight, and picked up the bandages, packing them over the majority of his upper arm's outer side, from shoulder to elbow. It hurt, it burned, it felt like it was already threatening to swell, but it was done, and he bit his tongue to ignore that familiar rush and crash he'd parted ways with so many times in his life.

"I told you, I needed an excuse for the bandages. It'll heal, don't worry, I've had worse."

The dragon's tongue flickered at the fresh taste of copper in the air, admittedly swallowing back a craving, his body instinctually preparing for the feed after a fresh kill, senses unable to tell the difference between this and the hunt, unlike his thoughts.

"You hurt yourself."

Ace winced. He was well aware. This wasn't the first time it had happened, and before tonight, he had already sworn his last, but circumstance arose and this was for a different reason, he would be alright, he could nip the craving in the bud, and not get back into it. He didn't need it anymore. He rolled his shoulder, already getting accustomed to the sting, and tried to be reassuring.

"Only a little, it was the best plan I had. It'll be fine, honest."

The dragon may not be the most skilled at reading humans, but the way his tone grew flat at the end, the way he turned to avoid being faced - it told him what he needed to know, Ace didn't feel pleasant about it. The dragon mulled in his head for a moment, and then, as Ace shuffled to the bed to pick up his coat to cover his arm up with, the reptile made the only gesture he could think of.

He gently placed a hand on the human's forearm, looking directly at the bandages, and spoke.

"...Let me help you, when you need these changed."

Ace skipped a beat, and was about to insist he was fine, it wasn't that bad, and it wasn't his dominant arm anyways, when he met eyes with the dragon, whose black voids shivered with depths of emotion untold. He slowed his tongue, looking away a little, and nodded in defeat.

"...Alright, sure. ...Can I get my jacket, now? I don't think Marie's awake, but just in case she sees me out there while I'm grabbing your dinner. I'm assuming you're hungry by now."

The dragon released his soft grip, pleased that the arrangement had been made. He had no idea what most social boundaries existed between humans, but one thing he knew for sure was at the very least, this one in particular deemed it acceptable, almost required, to treat another's wounds. And considering he found the strange gesture to be a form of kindness to him, clearly intended to be an aid, this was a way to repay the gesture if even in a small way. He watched with a little concern a the human walked off quietly towards the door, his mood clearly shifted low after that little event. It must have hurt a lot more than he was letting on.

\--------------------

When Ace returned from the kitchen, the dragon had been caught between his drifting concern and theories and his hunger that grew as the taste of hot flesh permeated the air. The tips of his tongue fluttered past his lips against his attempt at restraint, ears perking and eyes wide as the door opened, scent flooding the room and reminding his empty stomach that it was definitely time for another meal. His tail twitched with anticipation as the human approached with a plate, seemingly amused at his enthusiasm.

Ace set the plate down on the nightstand, the medicine having been tucked away again while he was cooking. He admittedly made a little extra for himself, but he'd already scarfed it down before the dragon's portion was finished. The reptile looked to him, almost as if for approval, and promptly snatched up the large hunk of flesh, hovered over the plate to contain the mess as the pink of the center dribbled out sweet red trickles of former life.

It was still a little unnerving to see the dragon eat, how quickly his posture and attitude shifted off that mostly human tone to that of a focused predator for just that moment. But truth be told, he found it a little less intimidating this time, having gotten a glimpse at his softer side just an hour or so earlier that night. He made a repeated note to not get on the wrong end of those teeth, though, as elongated fangs tore into flesh, and gnawed into a hunk of bone. The scraping clacks of bone on bone gave him the shivers bad enough, his own teeth feeling a pang of discomfort, but he flushed pale as the sickening crack of bone shattering under the pressure of his jaws hit his ears. He unsteadily turned away, shuddering, his stomach turned a little. The dragon was a lot stronger than his small frame implied, apparently.

He hadn't been met with any physical resistance, now that he thought about it. All hiss and no bite - and now he was deeply thankful for it with the understanding of how painful that could end up. The dragon noticed his discomfort by now, and while the human hadn't quite noticed, he had quieted down, eating around the bone for the time being, watching the man ease back up. It was a little difficult to suppress himself, but it was the least he could do, having been brought another meal like this without a single request in return, to at least respect a sense of unease. It was childlike, sure, but it was unease and he understood. The first time his mother brought home a fresh kill for him and his clutchmates, he was horrified at the noises flesh and bone made, having only known his mother's milk and pieces of meat she had hand selected for the little ones, small enough and soft enough for their new teeth to handle. The human didn't have teeth for hunting, that he saw, so he could only guess he was less than carnivore.

"You uh, like deer, I take it."

Ace cleared his throat, confident in his guess, but still gathering himself from the squeamish wriggle that twisted in his belly. The dragon swallowed his last bite of the flesh, blood dripping from his chin, along with a thick twist of something cloudy from his upper fangs. Ace squinted a little, trying to get a better look, it looked different from just spit, when the dragon wiped his mouth off on his arm, wincing as he scraped a cut and swiftly licking it clean, inspecting his arm for any other openings where the blood was smeared. He almost looked nervous for a moment, but nodded, awkward but appreciative.

"Yeah, it's uh.. something of a staple."

Ace cocked his head, making a note of that. He hoped the dragon would still like the other meats he got for him, but this gave him an opportunity to get some insight on his feeding habits at least.

"Oh? I didn't think deer were nocturnal. What other kinds of things do you eat?"

The dragon found himself licking his arm clean entirely now, free hand planted between his knees on the bed. He thought for a moment, deciding he may as well just cover the basics, as he could make the assumption this wasn't entirely out of curiosity, but for functionality. The human had provided both his meals now, so it was relevant.

"Hmm.. To an extent, what we can find, preferably with a pulse. There's these fat little birds, every so often, can't fly very well. Quail? I like the eggs better, myself, but hunger isn't picky. Rabbit isn't half bad, fish are nice, but hard to come by, I'm not much of a swimmer.. Mother brought home a bear, once, though it wasn't my favorite.."

Ace made little mental notes, checking off meat after meat. Well, He'd picked up some wild duck, tilapia, and a little beef aside from the venison to try and cover his bases, sounds like he made good picks, and knew what to look for next time. He tapped off along his fingers as he committed the list to memory.

"Just meats, then?"

The dragon shook his head, thinking back to the meal the night before. He had never eaten a potato before, but he had gnawed on plenty of roots and tubers to recognize the cousin texture.

"No, I can eat other things too. I haven't run into a lot of animals or plants I couldn't stomach. Fruits are nice, when they're sweet. Mushrooms are worth looking for, if I know which ones will agree with me and which ones would be better off left alone. I've seen way too many bright colors come back out of my mouth to take the gamble again."

Ace chuckled a little, relieved that he at least had more options. From the sounds of it, the dragon should be able to eat just about anything a human could, but he would still have to be careful about a few foods he knew were notoriously bad for other creatures. Maybe no coffee for the reptile. While he was debating what else to pick up for dinner tomorrow, he saw the dragon shoot upright, ears perked, though when he looked around, he neither saw nor heard a thing.

"Everything okay?"

The dragon stared, hard, across the room past Ace, before settling down a little, and looking back to his plate, hungrily eyeing up the remains of the bone. He forced his sights elsewhere, he would save it for when the human wasn't around.

"She's still awake."

Ace looked over at the wall, straining his ears but hearing nothing but silence. He turned to the dragon quizzically and with a shrug.

"What makes ya think that?"

The dragon curled himself up on the upper half of the bed, at the pillow, relieved that he felt little to no stinging thanks to the medicine still taking effect. He kept an ear perked, listening hard.

"She moved, and her heart never slowed, she hasn't gone dormant."

Ace couldn't say he wasn't impressed, but caught a little at the idea. If the dragon could hear Marie's heartbeat through the wall - even if it looked like he had to focus for it - that meant he could no doubt hear Ace's without a problem. He hoped that wouldn't come back to bite him, he had plenty of control over most of his outward expression, but next to none over his insides.

That in mind, though, he kept his steps light a he crept back to his chair, jacket discarded and propped his head up on his pillow atop his arm. The dragon was tended to, fed, and he covered his bases for tomorrow. Now, he just wanted to crash for the few hours he had left before sunrise.

"...Are you going to sleep?"

The dragon perked his head, curious at the human, whose eyes were already falling closed. He barely got his words out, his body shoving him along to slumber at the first chance it's been given.

"Y...yyeah.."

And just like that, he was out like a light, leaving the dragon to stare at him, for once.

\--------------------

Marie gave up on sleep at sunrise. She wasn't hardly able to rest, not with how worried she was about Ace. She knew he wasn't sleeping much, either. She could hear the floors creak a little as he walked around his room, and she heard him out in the kitchen at one point. She was tempted to even go out and talk to him then, but she told herself she needed to wait at least until she could clear her head, approach him without being so tense.

She stumbled out of her room, exhausted, as the cockerels crowed across town on the farmsteads. Well, she could at least get some breakfast going, and if Ace ended up sleeping in, she'd leave his portion in the fridge. Her hazel eyes scanned the fridge, eventually settling on some eggs and toast, something simple enough. She wasn't quite the cook Ace was when it came to creativity, but they were evenly matched when it came to experience, and she was familiar enough with his preferences. She set up the pot of water to a boil, easing the eggs in on a spoon to prevent cracking, and set the kitchen timer while she got to her toast. She was originally planning to just make toast for herself, and set aside the eggs, considering she hadn't heard a sound in the house all morning, when she heard Ace's door crack open. She perked up, happy to see her brother awake, and wasted no time sliding another pair of bread slices in the toaster as her own were finishing up.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. You were up late last night."

Ace winced, attentive as ever, she was. His hair was disheveled, and his tee shirt did nothing to hide his bandaged arm. He left it that way on purpose. When he woke up, he found himself covered by the clean towel he had left on his bed for the dragon, who slept uncovered by fabric but cloaked in tattered wings. He didn't have to think too hard to understand a certain someone must have put it over him after he passed out.

"Mornin' Marie. Sorry if I woke you, I was.. feeling kinda rough."

She briefly looked over his arm as he averted his gaze with a little shame, her features soft with concern. He sat himself down on the outside of the kitchen island, arms loosely crossed on the surface in front of him.

"...Do you wanna talk about it? ...I saw the bathroom last night. I.. had a feeling."

He at least appreciated that she was never one to force the answers out of him. That was always mutual - it was okay to ask, it wasn't okay to demand, and they never had a problem with it after the first few times as little kids, still learning their social boundaries and that the ones their parents had set for them were not always the best ones to follow.

"I can try, but honestly, it's not gonna be a habit again, it was kind of.. an impulse."

She nodded softly, turning away only because the kitchen timer buzzed for her attention, and she didn't want to overcook the eggs. She took the pot off the heat, turning the stove down and turning the faucet on cold, scooping the eggs out gently and setting them in the empty sink to cool under the icy rinse. She knew he was still keeping his tongue bit about something, but this was a start.

"Something set you off? Need me to beat anybody up for you? Your feelings, I can punch your feelings."

She gave him a playful smile, and was rewarded with his features cracking loose as a little laugh spilled from his lips, a hand running through his hair. He puffed his chest a little, mock gesturing at his heart.

"Take the shot, the bastard is really gettin' to me these past couple days."

Marie hopped a little into a faux fighting stance, holding her fists up and throwing a couple ghost punches, before lightly bopping him square in the chest, where he clutched his shirt in mock pain.

"You tell him I'll be back to teach him another lesson if he doesn't get off your case, got it?"

Ace felt his stress practically running for the hills, though more at his mood being lifted than Marie's playful threat. Mostly. He wouldn't be surprised if she could chase off bad emotions like she did an ill mannered patron a few drinks too deep. She seemed pleased by his improvement, and found herself less inclined to monitor him as she got to peeling eggshells and slipping toast onto a plate, leaving the butter to thaw a little before she cut off a couple half pats to spread across the slices. Ace looked her over pensively, not speaking until she sat down with both of their plates.

"So what's on _your_ mind?"

She stopped in the middle of slicing the soft boiled egg open, the fluffy yolk parted halfway, and looked up at him, a little tense, but with a smile.

"What do you mean?"

Ace looked her over, the curls of her strawberry hair were more tangled than usual, her pallor looked a little lighter than he thought it should be, her hands shook a little as she peeled the shells. She may be more observant than him, but he knew her tells all the same.

"You know what I mean, you ain't lookin' so hot yourself. Your other job? School? I can lay off, but at least lemme know if you're gonna be okay."

Marie sighed a little, delaying her response by stuffing a bite in her mouth, looking down at her plate. Ace was a little dull at times, but he wasn't blind to his surroundings. She was no exception, she supposed.

"A little of both. Work will be fine, though, I think."

Ace chewed a piece of his toast while she spoke, then took his turn.

"But will you?"

Marie chuckled, she should be careful what she says with him, he'll use it as his own the second he gets the chance. After another bite, she smiled, reaching across the little countertop to playfully nudge his good shoulder with her fist.

"You think a little workplace drama's gonna stop me? I'll be alright, but if it makes you feel better, you're the first person I'll call if I gotta hide some bodies."

Ace beamed a little, sticking the tip of his tongue out with teasing affection.

"You wouldn't have to call, I'd be there before you got the chance."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more on dragons! I didn't have the heart to say in-chapter that dragon boy is basically a garbage disposal for food. A garbage disposal with preferences, but like he said, hunger isn't picky.
> 
> I swear I have to physically refrain from just diverting my focus off onto Ace and Marie's relationship, because I love them, and they're the platonic duo I aspire to replicate.


	7. Naptime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is like low key a little more padding, but also, A Little Progression, as a Treat. And Marie. Marie is also A Treat.

Marie went off to her second job about an hour after breakfast, having gone off to take a shower while Ace washed up the dishes and got a pot of coffee going. She was pleasantly surprised by the offering waiting on the counter for her when she emerged from her room, hair still weighed down in damp coils.

"You didn't have to get that set up for me, I was gonna make some when I got out here."

She sat herself down with a smile, Ace already having set out her favorite mug and the small carton of heavy cream, alongside their little jar of brown sugar, the glass decorated by painted little thin flower patterns along the lower half. He flashed her a smile, holding up his own mug and taking a sip. Their cups matched, in an opposite sort of way - his was blue, with black silhouettes of decorative ferns along the base, hers was red, with matching white pattern. It wasn't the first, and would not be the last pair of things they picked out together.

"Oy, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want some too. 'Sides, gives you a little more time to wake up before you head out, don't it?"

She shook her head, smirking, and poured herself a cup, stirring in a little sugar and cream until the dark mixture turned a light, tan color, twirling the little spoon idly as she waited for it to cool.

"Ahuh, sure, I'll buy it on the books, but no farther."

She tilted her mug at him, grinning before taking her sip, satisfied with her usual ratio of coffee to fixins. Ace tipped his head back for another swig, pulling his sister's thermos out of the cupboard and gently sliding it a few inches across the counter to her, stepping out of the kitchen and around to the couch, softly running his fingers over the outskirts of his bandages. Marie looked him over, judging his wistful, distant stare. She sighed a little as she filled her thermos up and rationed in her cream and sugar, screwing the lid on tight and giving it a little shake in lieu of a proper stir, leaving another cup's worth in the pot and stopping at the couch, lightly brushing her hand over Ace's bandages herself.

"You gonna be okay while I'm out?"

He looked up at her, his thoughts resuming the present, and flashed a reassuring smile.

"No worries, I've got a new friend on speed dial who's uh, familiar."

Marie raised a brow as she took steps towards her room to grab her bag, brushing the collar of her peachy, scalloped vest off her neck.

"Oh? Am I gonna meet them sometime?"

He waited for her to come back out of the hall, stopping her as she passed to pick a few stray hairs off the front of her shirt.

"Eventually I hope, I told him a little about you, but he's sorta shy. He's a little unusual, but I think he really means well, and he'll come around."

Marie rose a brow as she opened the front door, burlap satchel slung over her shoulder, leaning on the frame as she flashed her keys and tucked them in the front pocket of her bag.

"Ooh, it's a he? He your type?"

While Marie gave a playful wink, Ace averted his eyes to his coffee, brows a little furrowed in an attempted, and failed, scowl. She snickered, waving at him as she stepped out the doorway, amused by his fluster.

"Joking, joking. See you later, yeah? I'll help you with your meds when I get back."

Ah, his weekly shot. She remembered it often times more than him, though he was prone to forgetting things that weren't his work schedule. They gave each other a little two finger salute, and off Marie went. Ace always worried about her second job, she only went once a week, and she didn't ever want to talk about what it was, but he'd at least gotten her to assure it wasn't anything she'd get into trouble for, so that was a start. To be fair, he had his own side hobbies he didn't like to talk about with her either, and they mutually let the line be drawn.

He breathed a heavy sigh as the house fell silent. He swore he had plans for today, but honestly, he was just exhausted. He kind of wanted a nap, kind of wanted to take a walk, should probably run a few errands or do some chores. They never trashed the house, but the floor could use a good sweep, the kitchen could use a quick wipe-down, maybe see if he could finally get that old TV working again or if they should lay the poor thing to rest in it's long earned grave. It had been broken for weeks, but neither of them had gotten around to taking a look at what was wrong with, and truth be told, he wasn't particularly tech savvy, but if he was lucky it would just be.. he wasn't sure, dusty? Cord that needed replacing? Hell if he knew how television sets worked beyond turning them on and adjusting channels or volume.

Ace got up to start cleaning, when he heard the floor creak, and he jolted up, instantly fearing an intrusion. He took a breath and quelled his anxiety when he remembered the house wasn't empty like he'd be used to at this hour, and he set down the rag he was wiping the countertop with, crossing the house to his room, cracking the door open to find the dragon awake, stopping in his tracks halfway across the room with the bloodied blanket bunched up in his arms. Ace tilted his head with a bemused smile, and the dragon flushed like a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar, looking away and stammering.

"I-i, I was just, I was gonna clean it in your bath, since it's my mess, I heard her leave and I didn't hear you, so I thought maybe you left too-"

Ace made note of that. He hadn't spoken a word since Marie stepped out, and his footsteps were naturally light. The dead of night was a different kind of silent, but in daylight even he could hear the bustle and background rumble of people around town going about their day, and the forest behind them alight with woken life. So the dragon's hearing had limits.

He offered a friendly smile, and on a whim, opened the door a little wider, stepping back and motioning for the dragon to come out. He froze up, ears flat with concern.

"Marie won't be home until late, we've got the house to ourselves, ya might wanna try the washin' machine for that one."

He hesitated, but with the twitch of his ears, he reconfirmed the house was otherwise vacant. He squinted a little at the light outside the bedroom, which had been kept comfortably dark for him and left his eyes very used to their natural adjusted state. Ace recognized this, and swung back to turn off the house lamp around the corner from the hall, and hit the kitchen light. He was still drawing the curtains for the front windows when he saw scales out of the corner of his vision, and he held up a hand to tell the dragon to stop.

"One sec, lemme get the windows, sorry."

The dragon peered around the corner, one hand on the wall and the other awkwardly trying to stop the thick duvet from unfurling and dragging the floor. He had seen this room last night, but he was in a hurry, and he was afraid. He was able to get a better look at it now that they were alone, and his tongue flicked curiously - he tasted egg in the air.

He knew the room was divided unevenly, about a third of it being divided partially by the half wall of a kitchen island, the center path being clear from the hall to the door, and the other side having what he could only guess was an extra nest, a wooden surface not unlike the smaller one in the human's den, a strange dusty box with a glassy panel, a shelf with a few books and trinkets, and another half wall, this one more like a fence, sectioning off what looked like a pit in the floor beside the wall.

Ace pinned the curtains shut, satisfied that though while not as dark as the nocturnal creature might prefer, it was shaded and no one could see inside. He was admittedly a little excited to see the dragon out his room, he felt awful leaving him so cooped up, but he didn't have much else of a choice until now. He looked uncertain, but not particularly afraid, and that was a big improvement in his eyes. Maybe he's actually getting comfortable, after all.

"Wanna come this way? I think you'll like it down there, though uh, I might need you to help me see where I'm going, it's pitch black down there."

The dragon perked his ears at this, he could handle braving through the light of the father sun that invaded his way through the windows if it meant getting some retreat shortly after. Ace walked over to the basement stairs that nestled to the wall, stepping down and unlocking the door. While there was no other way in or out, him and Marie had read enough horror stories about basements to opt for a lock, silly it may be. Not today, ghouls and monsters.

As he looked back up over his shoulder, he saw the dragon standing at the top of the stairs, squinting with a hand over his eyes, being stood right next to the side window. He could see the dragon had coated the edges of his wing webbing in the cream, a few splotches covering the small holes that had been snagged along the way. He was glad that he was getting use out of it, and made a note he would probably have to get more after the next time they swapped his bandages and re-dressed his wounds. He motioned for the dragon to come down, swinging the door open, eyes flashing wide as the dragon lunged for the opening and fell down the stairway.

"Woah-"

He had lunged to catch him, but ended up nearly falling himself as the dragon simply dropped to all fours, the blanket having somehow worked it's way from his fist to his mouth as it was dragged under him, somehow not tripping him as he scurried into the dark. Ace wouldn't have even been able to see him in there if not for the soft glow of his eyes. If he hadn't just watched the dragon run in, it would have been something out his nightmares - glowing unnatural eyes staring at him expectantly from the darkness of his basement.

He shuddered off the thought, and took an uneasy step, the light of the living room only stretching a few feet in before leaving him on his own. He found himself holding his arms out a little, unsteady, sense of balance threatening to abandon him alongside his sight as if tethered to visibility. He took a moment to remind himself which way was up from down, and followed the pair of eyes with slow steps.

The dragon rolled his eyes, remembering that the human lacked the night vision he possessed himself. He also felt an awkward pang in his chest when he realized he'd dropped to all fours so quickly, and pushed himself off the floor, back to his feet. It stung a little, and he gathered the numbing of the medicine was not as long live as he'd hoped it would be. Next time, he'd have to try staying asleep afterwards, drifting off was easier when your body doesn't ache. After he stood, holding the blanket in one balled fist, no longer worrying about it dragging the floor, he reached out and took the human's wrist, somewhat delicately. Ace flinched, not having expected the contact, and the hand released him, hovering over his hand.

"You said you wanted me to help you around, right?"

Ace whistled his sigh of relief, reaching his hand upwards a little and meeting the dragon's, who took ahold of it once more. The dragon ticked an ear, unseen. The human mentioned holding hands before as a form of trust, right?

"Yeah, sorry, I'm a little jumpy when I can't see. Alright, washer should be on the far wall, if you can get me to it, I can feel my way around."

The dragon scanned the room. Shelves lined with what looked like supplies bordered the side walls, jars with soups and vegetables, crocks with untold contents, bottles of water and other beverages, containers of cured meats and dried fruits, among other things that he assumed were tools or spare den materials like slabs of wood. He took a little comfort in being able to relate to the desire to stockpile for the off season, though he was unsure humans had a period to hibernate. He spotted a pair of metal boxes he couldn't recognize on the far wall, as promised, and gently tugged the human along towards them, finding himself resting the side of his tail on the human's thigh for guidance.

Ace was stopped as his foot lightly bumped the base of the machine, which he had thankfully braced for, knowing subconsciously he'd taken enough steps to be near it. He patted around a little awkwardly, first finding the dryer, then shifting to the left where he lifted up the lid to the washer, and awkwardly patted inside to make sure there was no clothes already inside. Once satisfied, he reached up for the knobs, checking to make sure they were at the desired settings still, then turning the large one with a series of clicks and pulling, water beginning to pour into the basin. He turned, gesturing vaguely to what the dragon saw was a shelf on the wall.

"Right around there somewhere, there should be a sorta jug, can you pass that and the blanket to me?"

The dragon awkwardly handed him the blanket, which he promptly began stuffing into the washer, shivering from the cold water. It occurred to him when it was a little too late that he should have rinsed it more first, but he honestly wasn't afraid of a few bloodstains, as long as it ended up clean it would be fine. He liked his blanket, but it wasn't particularly sentimental. When he was handed the laundry soap, he unscrewed the lid and felt the inside of the cup, finding the indented measuring marks and sliding his thumb over the desired mark with the rest of his hand holding it flat, and poured until he could feel soap touch his fingertip. Satisfied with his method, he carefully set the jug down on the dryer, pouring the soap in a circle around the center column of the washer, and tossing the cup in for good measure, closing the lid and putting a hand on his hip, squinting to no avail at the machine's dials.

"Can ya tell me if I set it right? It should be on the full wash cycle."

The dragon hesitated, looking at the foreign symbols along the dials, and bit his lip, looking to the human as if for guidance, though he knew that they couldn't tell.

"I uh... can't read this."

Ace tapped his hand to his forehead, of course the dragon couldn't read their language, he was lucky enough they spoke the same language. He put his hand to the large dial, and then held his fingers just below it, the dragon watching him curiously.

"Oh, uhh.. alright, one of these should have a word that's got two straight lines standing up next to each other, and if I set it right, the little arrow should be pointed at it. See anythin like that?"

The dragon stared hard, and found something he could only compare to a crossed squiggle, a curve, and the aforementioned lines. The arrow was right on the mark, and he nodded, before correcting himself and speaking.

"Yeah, it's right where you said it should be. What is this thing?"

Ace did a little fist pump, his muscle memory proved still far superior to his brain memory. He then tried to decide the best way to describe the machine to the unfamiliar creature, without dumbing it down to an insultingly simple degree, lest he offend.

"Uhh.. Sorta like the bath, but I guess for clothes and stuff? It shakes it up in there so we don't have to do it ourselves, rinses it out, and when it's done, we come get our stuff and either put it in the other one to dry or we take it out back and hang it up, sorta depends on what it is."

The dragon was able to at least understand that well enough, though he found it almost nonsensical that they needed this machine to do the work for them. He quite enjoyed the peace and quiet of cleaning up a fabric or two, assuming he could find a communal river to do so in and not get chased out halfway through his chore.

The human fumbled a little to find the dragon's hands, brushing over his arm on accident, before apologizing and trying to follow it down, but the dragon just reached up and took his hand to cut the exploration short.

"And we just.. leave it here for now, then?"

Ace hummed affirmation, looking back to the faint light of the open doorway, his squinted vision admittedly creeping up his nerves. He wouldn't admit it, but he really, really didn't like the void of darkness. It just creeped him out, and he swore he'd feel unseen hands hovering over his ankles or creeping up to the small of his back. The dragon flicked his tongue, curious as to why the human looked so intent, and knowing he had the chance to do so without being seen. He withdrew his tongue hesitantly, puzzled, and scanned the room. Fear? Why fear? Nothing was here besides the two of them - he hoped. He perked and swiveled his ears as he led the human back across the room, listening carefully but finding no unusual noise, no intrusions. When they reached the door, Ace visibly untensed, scurrying up the steps and shaking off with a shudder.

"What were you afraid of?"

Ace paused, did he look that uncomfortable? He swore he kept his smile eased, his posture was fine, his tone didn't shift. He looked over his shoulder, seeing the tips of the dragon's tongue flicking back between his lips, and then it clicked. He didn't see it, he tasted it. He was always told that pretty much everything but humans could smell, or sense fear, but he'd never had to come face to face with the idea before. He stepped around the little stairway and plopped himself on the couch, stretching out and taking comfort in the light that permeated the curtains as the dragon stepped halfway up the stairs, already squinting and struggling to see clearly.

"Oh, uhh.. I kinda get the heebie jeebies when I can't see my hand in fronta my face, ya know?"

He supposed he could understand, he wasn't fond of the idea of losing his sight, having had such a thing threatened on multiple occasions already in his life. Despite his young age, there were times of year the more seasoned dragons took no pity and would threaten his well being all the same if they caught him too close to - or worse, in - their territories. He wanted to come up the stairs, explore the den now that he knew they had some time, but it was also getting incredibly late for him, and his exhaustion was setting back in. He felt a yawn creep into his jaw, and looked away as his killing fangs outstretched a little, the muscle behind them flexing them forward as if he were poised to bite.

Ace shivered a little, that was a lot of teeth just there. But his mouth closed quicker than it opened, and he watched the dragon shuffle up the stairs, ears back and hands shielding his eyes. Ace had an idea, for just a moment, and patted the couch beside him.

"You wanna take a nap out here? Get you out of that stuffy bedroom? I can open up the window in there and air it out a little if you do, and I'll wake you up before Marie gets home."

The dragon pondered sleepily for a moment. He had grown a little accustomed to the smell of the den, though it still reeked of his shed blood and to a stronger degree, the human - though he was beginning to mind that part less. It was also still fairly humid, which he could only assume was from the hot water of his shower. Perhaps it would be nice, and make it easier to sleep - the air was much more clear out here, anyhow. He dragged his feet as he made his way to the couch, climbing onto the cushion and sitting himself down, sniffing a little and flicking his tongue. Ace got up to go tend to his bedroom window, as the dragon processed the traces of the other human's presence.

Sweet, almost sickly, like thick sugars and fruit syrups. Books, he knew the scent of leatherbound paper just fine. He cursed his sensitivity, though as the scent of blood from the blanket still lingered on his tongue, clouding his senses and making it difficult to pick up any nuances. He supposed he would have to check around later. He wanted to at least be familiar with this .. one other human, in case he ever needed to pick them out of a crowd. If they were so close to his captor- Rescuer - he could only assume they would be trustworthy in an absolute emergency, if he had no other choice, though he prayed he wouldn't need to come to it, the thought giving him anxious chills. Trusting them was a slippery slope, his mother was right. He needed to dial himself back, lest he let his guard down too much.

Ace came back out from his room, having brought the blanket he'd used as a partial blackout curtain out and holding it up with a smile. Perhaps.. this one was still an exception, at least. He found himself hopeful that would prove true, he wanted to like this one. It wasn't absolute, but this one was so different from how his mother described their folk to be. He was gentle, he was helpful, he was.. so far, genuine.

The dragon didn't even flinch when Ace sat back down on the couch beside him, and held up the blanket, as if to offer to cover him when he laid down. The dragon looked it over, then him, and leaned away, arms curling under the pillow by the armrest and burying his face in it, shifting his wings to tuck against his body more closely. Ace draped the soft cloth over him, somewhat tucking him in gently near the wings while the dragon nuzzled his face into the softness of his cushion. Ace turned away, about to get up, when he felt his jeans snag a little, and stopped short, looking over his shoulder and expecting to see a loose upholstery staple again, when he found no such thing.

The dragon had curled his tail around behind him, and when he looked back at his lap, the end curled around just the edge of his thigh. He looked back to the dragon, who had his eyes closed already, and his face too buried to read.

"...Uh, hey?"

The dragon lifted an eyelid, looking back over his shoulder at the human. He was well aware what he'd done, and it was very, very deliberate.

"Yes?"

Ace looked down at the tail again, not sure what to say, not sure if he should be flattered or confused. The dragon rolled his eye, closing it again.

"I'm aware."

Ace felt the tiniest flutter shiver up his chest, and he swallowed back the crack that threatened to break his voice.

"...What for?"

The dragon ticked his ear, adjusting his tail a little with a ripple of scales to let everything line up where it belonged, as best they could with the missing pieces and empty overlaps.

"You want me to trust you, right?"

Ace furrowed his brow a little, unsure how the theme connected.

"..Yeah, but..?"

The dragon let a soft smirk crack into the pillow, unseen by his couchmate.

"Then let me let you prove I can."

The dragon fell quiet, breathing steadying slower as he faded off, leaving the human awkwardly sat awake, staring up at the ceiling. He leaned back into the cushion, careful to not put too much pressure on the dragon's tail, which had shifted to rest above his hips at the small of his back, the curve of his spine providing a little of a pocket for it to sit in, and slung his arms up on the back of the couch beside him. He didn't quite understand what he meant, but he supposed it was a little up to interpretation. Let him.. Let Ace prove he could trust him? He was already trying to prove it in every way he knew how -

And then it clicked. He was trying to prove himself the human way. The dragon was smart enough he must have seen that clear as day. But he was gonna need to prove it the dragon way. 

\--------------------

Ace had fumbled with his phone until the battery ran low, and he set it aside, leaving the reserve in case Marie called. He had counted the dots on the ceiling, at least until he lost track and gave up. He had taken out his knife to admire for a little bit, assuring himself his familiarity with it's hold hadn't gone rusty, despite the minimal need for it's use in his day to day life. He worked in a kitchen, if he needed a knife, there were bigger ones around and in quicker reach anyways, but he still took the little opportunities when he could, having a soft spot for the satisfying click of the hinge locking into place. He supposed it was because it held sentimental value, having been a gift from Marie.

She had given it to him when they were teenagers, and he was absolutely not allowed to have a knife. He couldn't figure how she had gotten it herself, but he supposed she had her ways. He was all talk about how sly he could be, but her actions spoke louder than his words ever could. She pulled all the strings, he was just the showman.

He sighed, scanning over the room again. It was barely noon. Marie wouldn't be home for at least a few more hours, though he figured to be safe, he would wake the dragon up in about an hour and usher him back to the bedroom. He wanted to go downstairs and move the laundry, but he was a little afraid to move. He looked back down to the tail curled around his lap, the coil having gotten a little more snug over the last couple hours, the scales pinching the fabric where they had shifted a few times as the end made it's way to rest just above his stomach, the very tip always hovering away from contact. He knew better than to touch a wound, but his fingers still hovered lightly, instinctively wishing he could cradle the injury and express his concern with touch. Touch was just.. how he expressed affections, platonic or otherwise. He was a hands on kind of person.

He found himself idly reaching past the tip, and let his fingers fall delicately onto the scales. He looked over at the sleeping dragon, checking for any signs of disturbance, but found none. With that in mind, he cautiously stroked the interlocking keratin, finding his fingers gliding over the surface's thin, but slick coating. He couldn't help but wonder what purpose they served, if they were similar to his own skin, or if it were more akin to the slime coat on a fish, but thinner. It didn't stick to his fingers, as slime would, so he had to rest on his other guess for now, deciding he would just ask later.

Ace curiously pet along the short strip of tail, careful to go with the grain as he alternated from soft fingertips to light scritches, at first judging for a reaction, then to just occupy himself once he determined the dragon was far too asleep to even notice. He stopped himself from letting his eyes wander again, though he admittedly always caught on the dragon's face. It was so human, had it not been for the peppering of scales, he wouldn't question his humanity for a second with his eyes closed and his teeth hidden like this. He wondered if the dragon saw him in a similar light - if he had scales, fangs and horns, would he fit right in as a dragon? The thought amused him with how reminiscent of his childhood it was, having dreamed of other worlds or a different body, much like most other children his age had, though he supposed some of his dreams carried on into adulthood.

The dragon shifted a little, ear twitching in his sleep, a shiver going down his tail once more as it straightened out, loosening off his waist. Ace supposed it was as good a time as ever to get up now, get the duvet in the dryer - if he timed it right, he could offer the dragon the freshly warm blanket when he had to wake him to move to the other room.

He had no trouble navigating the basement with the light on, moving the soggy comforter into the dryer to at least get the majority of the moisture out, he hoped. He'd like to get it back on his bed, whether he was using it himself or not. When he came back upstairs, he cautiously made his way to the kitchen, he supposed it was as good a time as ever to fix himself something to eat, and with the dragon's dietary range in mind, he could make something proper to offer him as well. One meal a day surely wasn't enough for himself, and he couldn't imagine the same went for the reptile, especially with wounds to heal.

\--------------------

Usually, the weekly meeting was rather fruitless. Pointless bickering around her, claims and bluffs, never truly productive. She'd sit herself back and wait for the boss to assign zones, as usual, and she would be sent off to boring prospects, as usual. But she would find things to hunt, as usual. The Huntmaster never particularly noticed her efforts, he favored the men anyways. She expected it, going into this, but it didn't irritate her any less.

When all the good pickings were given off to the others, she fiddled with her bow, mentally planning already her usual routes in the more barren patch of the woods near town, where the animals steered clear for fear of the human residence so close. To her surprise, the Huntmaster pulled her aside, though her eyes voiced her displeasure at his arm slung carelessly around her shoulder, and she debated how worthwhile it would be to make a point of removing his hand and staring him down.

"I've got somethin' special for you to look into for me, this week, hun."

She grimaced, but bit her tongue. She would hear him out, daydream about socking him later. But boy, would she be daydreaming about socking him something fierce. He got on her nerves, but the job was easy enough, and the payout was, while somewhat average, still a contribution to her schooling, and paying off her old medical loans. The sooner she got them out of the way, the sooner she and Ace could put their old lives truly behind them, or at least she hoped.

"We got some reports of.. strange activities in the area, a few nights ago. We weren't gonna worry about it at first, but then story after story came pouring in, and we hear there's some pretty bad damage off past the river. You think you're up to the task of checking it out for us? You never know what might be out there."

Marie rolled her eyes, finally stepping out of the man's hold, plucking lightly at her bow string and tilting her hip to shift her weight.

"If it's anything like the last four times you said this, it's another coyote, or the local kids thinking they're being sneaky running off into the woods. But if it is, by some miracle, something interesting, hauling it back here shouldn't be too hard."

He cracked a crooked grin, patting her on the shoulder as she crossed her arms, awaiting further detail.

"Good girl."

She gave up, the daydreaming starts now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone out of my way I may be a boy, but I'm gay for Marie
> 
> Local dragon man fascinated by the world of washing machines, human man becomes Encattened on a couch for hours but with a dragon instead of a cat, Marie years for the day she gets to punch a sexist, it's the content I needed.  
> I swear I know there's a homo to build up on but I'm really just invested in the world myself and I have a weakness for it. The boys are the main focus, but it'll be easier to execute all the things I have planned for them once there's just a little more of a foundation to walk on. I'm improvising 90% of this because it's still just self indulgent fluff lmao


	8. Everyone's got a name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I'm about to move" I said  
> "I might post slow" i said, writing 3 more chapters, the two days before we start, because my priorities are in order
> 
> Also a little bit of song in this chapter bc I'm sentimental and it seemed fitting

The dragon awoke to his tongue fluttering at the taste of something savory in the air. As he moved to curl his tail, he perked an ear as he found the appendage wrapping around empty air, jolting upright with a start - was he alone, where did the human go, how long had he slept, was the other human home - when the fog of sleep lifted enough for him to hear a soft whistling from the kitchen. He peered over the back of the couch, scales settling with relief at the sight of the familiar man facing the stove, back to the room. He bounced a little with his tune, hips swaying with a gentle but vibrant energy as his whistle carried a fast pace tune. Something strange was on his head that the dragon hadn't seen before, it looked like a strange pair of earmuffs with a thick, shiny string coming off it, though he couldn't see over the counter to determine what it might be tied to, if anything.

"...What are you doing?"

The dragon was soft spoken, but the human had never had trouble hearing him before. A little annoyed that he was being ignored, the dragon unfolded his wings, pushing the blanket off his form and shaking it off the webbing with a little flap. He raised to his knees, holding the back of the couch for support, thankful that the cushion of the furniture distributed his weight onto more than just the point of his knee, and allowed him to favor his sore thigh. He huffed a little, half flapping his wings to draw attention.

"Hello? Are your ears stuffed with moss?"

Ace still didn't reply, turning to the side to reach for the cupboard, pulling out a pair of plates, then swinging back into his pattern of motion, twirling a pointed finger in the air with the rise and fall of his pitch, roughly matching his tempo. From the small glance caught while his head was turned, the dragon caught a smile he hadn't quite seen before on the man. The way his lips pursed with his song, edge still raised in a curve that rose into his cheek, sharp jawline softened by the ease of muscle. His hair was brushed back from his eyes, leaving him with the previously hidden sight of the short, fluffy patch that ran down the far edge of his face, stopping short of his chin. He found himself envisioning scales upon his skin once again, the sharp peer of horns that would rise up just in front of the band of his earmuffs, perhaps a lower cut on his shirt to fit a pair of wings, and the way his tail would sway so gracefully along with his hips that kept swinging in rhythm.

Ace turned again, farther this time to reach the sink, rinsing off his hands for the umpteenth time, when he caught motion out of the corner of his eye. He looked up to see the dragon staring at him, tail wagging to and fro behind him. He flashed a smile as he turned off the water, wiping his hands on a towel, before pushing his headphones off his ears and around his neck, the booming music no longer being funneled into his ears.

"Oh, hey, you're up! No worries, it's just about two or so, Marie shot me a text and said she's gonna be out late, prolly til sundown, somethin's goin down on her end. We've got a few hours yet. Dinner - or, I guess breakfast for you? - ain't done for another 45, give or take."

The dragon blinked a few times, having to sort out the words of the human. He was doing that thing again where his tone got so loose and he tossed around figures of speech that the dragon was unfamiliar with, so he had to sift for keywords as best he could. He wasn't sure what it being "two" meant, or how the other human would have shot him with a text (Weren't books too big to put in the human weapons?) but he gathered she wouldn't be home until father sun laid himself to rest and the mother moon began her turn on watch. The human was pretty evidently working with food again, though he hadn't the faintest what he meant by "another 45" - 45 what?? He was unfamiliar with the human units of measurement anyways, though, shy of things like days and seasons, and the moon cycle, so asking wouldn't have cleared much up, he assumed.

He eased his posture a little, flinching back with a wince as he naturally tried to rest his chest on the backboard of the couch, the numbing having worn almost entirely off by now if not wholly. That in mind, he crossed his arms over the cushions and board, leaning his weight more on the established support, his tail swaying more relaxed now, in a subtle rhythm with Ace's own movement as he rocked from leg to leg. The dragon didn't notice it, but Ace did, cracking a smile of endearment.

"So, what's on your mind?"

The dragon came back to attention, idly still watching Ace move with curiosity. His ears ticked a little at the noise that came from the kitchen, it sounded like a human singing alongside several instruments, but it was a volume that implied a great distance. Ace saw him staring at the headphones, and lifted the side of one briefly, acknowledging it.

"Oh, have you never seen headphones before? Wanna give 'em a spin?"

The dragon perked a little with interest, growing less and less skeptical of the new things the human offered from day to day. Nothing had hurt so far, and while he couldn't understand it all, it was still something new, it was something to keep him occupied. He was trying not to go stir crazy as it was, used to the open freedom of the outside world and not the contained walls of a human den, as tolerant as he was growing of the temporary shelter.

"Head..phones? What do they do?"

Ace checked the oven, assuring himself the bed of halved baby potatoes weren't overcooked in their bath of broth, and that the pot atop the stove with sugared baby carrots was still at a slow simmer, not too high, not too low. The pair of fish filets were resting in the fridge, already rinsed and otherwise ready to cook once the rest of the meal caught up. He could leave it be for a few minutes without worry, and made his way out of the kitchen to stand in front of the dragon, pulling his phone out of his pocket and turning the volume down to the lowest setting, recalling the sensitivity of the dragon's ears.

"Oh, they're like.. little speakers that go over your ears. I've got music on my phone I can listen to with it, a recording."

His interest sparked again - he liked music, he liked music a lot. It was a personal comfort and pride. He wasn't sure how you could contain song in that small little box, but he had so far seen a hot spring come out of a hole in the wall and a river contained in a box underground, so he supposed the humans were very good at containing things.

The thought struck a sore chord in his chest. He felt contained, too.

Shaking the idea out of his head - reminding himself that he was staying of his own accord, he was allowed to leave, the human even brought him outside and made no attempt to restrain him, he could have run for the forest if he'd so chosen - he looked over the headphones, flicking his tongue a little. While the human assumed he was merely inspecting them, the dragon was also looking for traces of the human. His tongue tickled a bit at the very faint sensation of the taste of happiness. The human must enjoy music a lot, too.

"Do you have a kind of music you like more than others?"

He turned the thought around in his head, he wasn't sure the human would know the differences in dragon's songs, or the songs of the other races he'd crossed paths with. He knew he was very fond of the voice his mother taught him, but he also enjoyed how light and friendly the songs of the fawns were, the melodies of the fairies. He had joined in with a few before, his own crooning voice melting amongst instruments and choir of the village he took a morning's refuge alongside.

"I think I like slow music."

Ace held his hand to his chin for a moment, swiping his finger across his phone screen a few times in thought. He was more into fast paced, hype building kinds of music, though he did have a soft spot for a few more emotional pieces here and there. He was unsure he had anything that would meet the dragon's tastes, when he got an idea, scrolling fast and stopping on something he found especially fitting. It was a bit low, but it was a song he found beautiful that way.

"Here, you might like this one. Just touch the little triangle when you're ready, and if you want to stop listening, touch the two little lines. I'm gonna go check on the laundry, it'll be a hot minute, the duvet probably needs to be unwound and gave another go."

The dragon accepted the phone from his hand, cupped in his own a little hesitantly, and watched as the human set the headphones on the back of the couch beside him, giving him a smile and a little two finger salute before leaving off to the basement, keys clinking as they unlocked. He could not read the words on the screen, but he could see the promised shape, and turned to the headphones. With the phone sat tenderly on the couch, he picked them up, cautiously bringing them down atop his head, the band angled a little awkwardly back behind his horns, a hand cupping over one of the rounded sides to hold it in place. His ears stuck out from under them, but they were soft enough that it wasn't uncomfortable, at least for the short term. He hovered his fingertip over the glass of the phone for a moment, holding his claw up to prevent scratching the surface as he pressed play.

_Puff, the magic dragon, lived by the sea._   
_And frolicked in the autumn mist, in a land called Honahlee._

His brows raised a little, the soft tones were pleasant enough, gentle like his mother's voice when she sang for him and his clutchmates as a child. Songs carried stories with them, some true, some tales spun for children to help them remember important lessons. His mother had sung of the dragons of old, of the mother moon and her love for her children, how much of a brave warrior his father was. He listened intently to the human song of a dragon, spoken of with such a fondness to their tone, and his human friend. A boy that brought him gifts of trinkets, how they would cross the oceans together and humans of highest nobility revered the pair, the lawless would stand down at his mighty roar. A smile crept at the corner of his mouth, finding his mind picturing himself and this human he was taking a liking to. He wanted to share some of his world as the human had been sharing his own, to bring him interest.

_A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys._   
_Painted wings and giants rings make way for other toys._

He felt a prickle creep into his chest, having already envisioned himself in the song. His wings tucked more closely to his back.

_One grey night it happened, Jackie paper came no more._   
_And puff, that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar._

The tone cracked deeply, his investment getting the better of him as a tear threatened to escape his eye. Losing someone so dear was a familiar concept. He hovered his hand to the phone, unsure if he wanted to think about it anymore, but at the same time, it felt a dishonor to not hear the story out.

_His head was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain._   
_Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane._   
_Without his life-long friend, puff could not be brave._   
_So puff, that mighty dragon, sadly slipped into his cave._

His finger pressed down on the pair of lines, the noise coming to a sudden halt. It was relieving, allowing him to push the headphones off and set them next to the phone on the couch. His throat felt sharp as he swallowed back the invoked emotion, and he shook his head a little, claws running through hair to fix the disheveled clumps after a nap and being pinned in an awkward position. He was admittedly a little more sensitive than he'd like to have admitted, but he blamed himself for projecting so easily and leaving himself open.

When Ace came back upstairs, he found the dragon sat on the couch still, phone pushed aside with his knees to his chest. He looked a bit distant, and Ace bit his lip. Maybe he shouldn't have picked an emotional song, though he found it such a nice fit. He walked over, hesitating for a moment when the dragon didn't look up to acknowledge him, and gently hovered his hand over the dragon's shoulder, not quite making contact.

"You okay?"

The dragon ticked his ear, not looking up, but leaned his body a little to let his shoulder meet Ace's palm. After a moment of awkward quiet, he let out a forlorn sigh.

"Yeah. I don't know if I like human music, is all."

Ace felt a pang of guilt, knowing that was almost certainly on him. He unplugged his headphones, setting them on the coffee table, and made his way back to the kitchen. He scrolled through his options, turning the volume back up a little, settling on something he personally liked for it's peppy energy. With a hopeful smile, he pressed play, kneeling down to assure himself that food was still on track.

"Maybe that one wasn't the best choice on my part, give this one a try. It's one of my favorites."

The dragon's ears perked, it was much faster of a tune already. He couldn't understand the words as well, but the sounds of instruments were enough, almost easier for him. They gave a tune of energy, of grand adventure, of life. He found his tail tapping lightly once he picked up the rhythm, considerably more lighthearted and enjoyable. He looked back over the couch at the human, who moved with a bounce in his step once more, tapping his hands on the counter surface like a drum when they were idle. Ace and the dragon met eyes, Ace beaming a smile at the sight of the dragon's mood clearly lifted back up, interest re-captured.

He started singing along, knowing the words by heart after the countless times he'd looped his playlist over the years. He didn't consider his tune to be perfect, he was admittedly less familiar with voice control than others, but he enjoyed himself nonetheless, drifting to a comfortable headspace as his foot tapped the floor on beat, getting caught up in a little bit of a dance, swaying his body and bouncing on his heel, hands rapping on surfaces as he passed them, working his way around the kitchen to tidy up the vegetable peels from his prep work, wiping off the counters and rinsing off his kitchen knife.

The dragon felt a spark in his chest. The longing to join in song, though he did not know the words, he had picked up on the tune. He never had to know the words, though, he liked the melody. He swallowed to clear his throat, adjusting the position of his tongue in his mouth as he counted in his head, waiting for the right beat. With a nervous inhale - what did he even have to be nervous about? He took such pride in his call - his voice cooed a soft trill, matching the piano that rung out from Ace's phone. Ace glanced over his shoulder, confirming the source of the new sound, but averting his eyes so as to not embarrass the dragon, a delighted smile staining his features from cheek to cheek.

Ace didn't say a word about it, just let song after song play and sung along himself as the dragon paused at the beginning of each, nodding his head slightly with the beat until he'd collected enough of it to resume crooning along. The boldness of his voice, and the complexity of his range reminded him of a butcherbird's song - something Marie had introduced to him with a recording she'd been shown in school. He learned quickly, he matched quickly, and it almost sounded like near the end of the songs, he'd added some of his own little flairs. He missed singing together, Marie having been his childhood duet partner, but they had drifted off the habit in their teens, never really picking it back up.

As the time passed by, he hadn't quite noticed until after the fact that the dragon had climbed over the edge of the couch, perching himself up atop Ace's usual seat on the outside of the counter, feet and hands crammed onto the surface with his knees up, tail wrapped around the legs of the chair and wings half outstretched to aid his balance. He noticed specifically when he turned around from the stove, taking the softened carrots off the heat, and had intended to grab the strainer from the counter cupboard when he found himself only a few feet from the dragon. He flinched, both of them quieting as his phone kept singing.

"Woah, hey there. Ya snuck up on me, haha. Food's almost done, just gotta throw the fish in the pan for a few. Whaddya want to drink? We got water, we got milk, we got OJ."

The dragon peered over the human's shoulder at the stove as he knelt to open the cupboard, retrieving his desired tool and setting it up in the sink, pouring the pot of carrots into it and leaving it to drip. He guarded his palm with a potholder, taking ahold of the iron skillet handle to swirl the generous pat of butter around, bubbling and turning golden quickly. He swung the fridge open, snatching up the pair of filets fluidly, removing them from their bed of thin lemon slices and sliding them into the pan, hastily crushing a few cloves of garlic under his knife and tossing them more haphazardly in alongside the cuts of fish.

"...Water is fine, I haven't needed milk since I was a nestling. ...How... How many season cycles are you?"

Ace retrieved a pair of clear glasses, frosted etchings of little roses on one asymmetrical side. He shifted the strainer full of carrots to the side, turning the faucet so it no longer hovered over them, and began running the water, letting it get properly cold before tipping one of the glasses under it, filling it just a half inch or so below the rim before turning off the tap and setting it in front of the dragon.

"Season cycles? You mean, like, years? Uh, just turned 23 this spring. Actually, same question goes for you. Are dragons like, immortal? Do you guys even keep track?"

The dragon took a small sip, flicking his tongue rapidly past the surface tension, and continued to eye the human's work as he opened the oven, heat pouring out while he carefully removed another iron pan, slices of potato resting in a thick looking liquid with a few small sprigs of rosemary, putting it atop a cold stove burner.

"21, as of the spring solstice, as my kin are all hatched. I can't say I know how long the others expect to be around, but mother.. implied I may may not want to worry myself with it, if I recall."

He nodded in vague understanding, deciding to drop the age subject, though he did take interest in them being so close in age. It was sort of comforting, knowing he wasn't dealing with a centuries old reptile who might look at him like a complete inexperienced child.

"Everyone's born in spring? Do you guys, just like, plan for that?"

He flipped the slabs of fish over in the pan, pleased with the crisp outer layer that had formed.

"I guess you could say that. It lines up that way, winter is our active season, as the mother moon has a longer hold on the night. Good time for incubation while we store up for summer."

Ace listened intently, Marie would _love_ to hear all this, and he hoped he could share with her eventually. She always liked to learn about animals, and while she hadn't decided her exact field, she was studying in school to become an expert, and she always liked reptiles the most. She had wanted to get a pet snake, but she'd felt awful about the idea of taking one from the wild, and it was hard to find a breeder this far from any big cities, and as they lacked a car, they couldn't really reliably make the trip.

He poured himself a glass of orange juice, setting it on the kitchen side of the counter across from the dragon, who flicked a tongue distantly at it curiously while he plated the fish, evenly dividing up the halved potatoes and the carrots, offering the dragon his plate first as he set the pair of meals down, digging through a drawer for cutlery.

"We're in the off season now then, I take it?"

He found himself a pair of forks by reflex, sliding one beside the dragon's plate and sitting himself down, not hesitating to spear a chunk of potato on his tool, blowing on it to cool it before stuffing it in his mouth, wincing at the internal heat and chasing it with a swig of juice.

"You'd be right. We sleep more, we eat less, we're more vulnerable, but a lot of folks get twice as irritable."

He frowned, twitching his wings at the thought. He eyed up the metal fork, curiously stealing a glance at how the human held his own, and tried to mimic it, though awkwardly, fiddling with his grip before managing to get a piece of potato on the prongs that didn't fall right back off as he lifted it up.

Ace glanced him over, a little amused at the way the reptile parroted his behavior, and chose to not draw attention to it, letting him figure out the motions without hint of judgement.

"Is that what happened back there, then? Someone was uh, irritable?"

He clicked his teeth on the fork, wincing a bit at the sensation of biting into a rock, chills rushing up his teeth as his killing fangs were pressed a little too hard, cloudy liquid dribbling into his bite. Ace caught notion of the uncomfortable sensation, and made a more deliberate show of taking a bite of carrot, lips pulled a little back to show he bit into the food lightly, pulling it off the cutlery, not biting the cutlery itself.

"You could call it that. He didn't need to go so far, I've got half a mind to repay him this debt when I'm back on my feet."

He curiously watched the human take a bite, biting back the tingle in his throat he got from staring at his lips so intently. They looked chewed up, but soft. His teeth looked a little less.. dull and boring than he'd thought before, noting the small canines - nothing compared to his own, however.

"Say, I still haven't got your name, and I kinda feel weird just callin you 'dragon' - mind if I call you anything in particular?"

He hiccuped on his food a bit, somewhat flustered that he would ask so soon, though he steadied himself when he recalled the human gave his own name almost immediately upon meeting. It must be more.. loose in human culture.

"I- uh.. I suppose not, mother called me Keiran."

Ace played with the sound in his head, making sure to commit it to memory. He finished his bite, noting the dragon was looking away with his ears tipped down, somewhat embarrassed.

"Keiran? That sounds nice - I'm called Ace. Though I probably told you already, haha."

Ace. He recalled that now, he had admittedly forgotten his exact name. Keiran cleared his throat, trying to change the subject as he tried to scoop up the filet with his fork, struggling as the singular piece was far too large. Ace offered an example to follow by sectioning off a bite sized piece of his own strip, stuffing it in his mouth.

"Do.. you catch any of this yourself?"

Ace watched Keiran awkwardly mimic his motion again, managing to separate a piece to take another bite, gaze gesturing at the contents of the plate.

"Oh, no, I don't really have the heart to go out hunting. I'm not too fond of uh, seeing things die, let alone feeling responsible."

He bit back the bitter memory of childhood, the overwhelming guilt that cascaded over his shoulders. It had been an accident. He had tried to steer away on his bike, but he steered too late, and it was so small. He shuddered, Keiran catching onto his distaste of the subject.

"...Is that why you took care of me?"

Ace paused, and chucked a little lightly. He glanced at the clock to reassure himself it was still only around 3, and they need not rush just yet, propping his elbow on the counter and twisting a lock of hair between his fingers.

"I guess so, yeah. You didn't look so hot, and I kinda moved without thinking. Next thing I knew, I had you patched up as best I could manage, out cold on my bed."

Keiran pondered over his next bite, looking up to judge Ace's face for whatever emotion he could find, tongue flicking again. Slightly more familiar with the human in question, he was finding it a little easier to read him, incrementally.

"Is it something you would do normally?"

Ace looked up from his food, not needing to think very hard upon his eyes meeting the dragon's face, small scratches already mostly healed, a little color having come back to his pallor, life in his eyes.

"I'm not sure I've had to before, but I'm glad I did it, and now? Yeah, I'd do it again."

Keiran allowed a small smile onto his lips, looking back away to his meal. He kind of liked the warmth that touched his heart with Ace's words. He was proving to be, if nothing else, unlike his expectations, and he supposed that was a good thing.

\--------------------

Marie couldn't hardly believe her ears. The Huntmaster must be absolutely off his rocker this time, surely. What was he on, and where could she get her hands on some for herself? She could certainly use an escape to whatever reality he was in.

"You heard me, doll. They're saying 'falling star' - I'm hearing dragon. It's been a couple decades since anyone's gotten their hands on one, but just imagine the _fortune_ from bagging something so unheard of. No more petty change payouts."

Marie blinked hard, the promise of her and Ace's bills paid, they would never have to save up for a season just to repair a broken stove again, never have to worry about food, never have to worry about anything. It was too good to be true. She shook her head, crossing her arms and leaning back on the wall, sizing up her boss for a single sign he might actually believe what he was spinning.

"And why should I believe this ain't another wild goose chase? Why send _me_?"

His grin cracked a little wider, hand sliding into his thick coat pocket, pulling out a single chipped scale, nearly black in color, faint violet reflecting off from the light overhead. Marie stopped short, staring hard. He offered it to her to inspect, and she found herself mentally pouring over every reptile she knew of that could possibly live in the area, hell, every animal in general. Nothing would have a piece like this. It wasn't plastic, it wasn't metal, it wasn't rock - it was absolutely keratin. When she looked back to the Huntmaster in utter confusion, lost on the source, be took the scale back to his pocket, turning to the map of their territory plastered on the wall.

"I'm sending you because you're the best fit. These boys can make me plenty a coin with their experience in landing a clean kill, but you? You pull through no matter where you get sent, where the boys come back empty handed swearing up and down it's been picked clean. So if anyone's good at finding things others can't, I'd pin you for it."

She was being given a chance. She could take care of all their worries and prove herself in one swoop, no more being left behind as lesser than the boys. She contained herself, trying to not fall too deeply in belief for this unlikely scenario - but she could still give it her best shot. The Huntmaster tapped a finger to a point on the map not far from town, it looked to her like it wasn't too far past Ace's walking trail. She knew the drill.

After picking her bag back up from the back of her chair, she set off. The trail she knew started about a minute's walk from home, and she knew she could slink over without Ace noticing, assuming he wasn't out on the trail himself. She sent him a text to let him know she'd be out late, and he informed her he was still hanging around at home, and he'd be there when she got back. Perfect.

Her walk was quick, more like a careful sprint, silent of everything but the faintest shuffle of dry earth under shoe tread as she made it down Ace's trail effortlessly. He wasn't aware of it, but he wasn't the only one that knew parts of these woods better than his own home. She jumped the small river in two precise steps, first to land on the center rock that rested just below the surface, second to hit the opposite bank. This path wasn't worn, but it looked like it had been disturbed recently, she assumed by the locals that found and reported the supposed crash site.

It took the breath out of her lungs.

"Holy hell."

She scanned the destruction. This was insane. This was no coyote, this was no teenagers, this was a _wreckage_. Trees broken jagged across the trunk, branches snapped aside, wilted leaves starting to decay. She scanned the area, listening closely, before deciding it was adequately clear, leaving her bow at her back, opting to get out her hunting knife to help her clear through some of this debris. This was her starting point. It took what felt like an hour of shuffling through worthless sticks and dirt before she saw a snag of something shiny in a tree. She hadn't noticed it until she was practically right under it, the tree masking the thin, tattered ribbon.

She apologized to her blade with the promise of a whetstone at the end of the night, and jammed it about halfway up the trunk with a harsh enough force to firmly plant it in the wood, holding it by the handle and kicking up off the bark, using the knife as a step to help pull herself into the branches, within reach of the strange material. It felt like wilted leather, dead flesh in her fingers, though it did not smell of rot. It was definitely very new. It was a dark crimson, glittery little flecks twinkling as she tilted it in the light for a better look. She had never seen anything quite like it, but she supposed.. that was a good sign, for once. She carefully tucked it in her bag and made her way back down the tree, wrenching her knife back out of the bark, wiping it off on the side of her jeans out of habit before re-sheathing it, moving on to keep searching.

She found several scales, some more intact than others. When she made it to the abrupt end of the clearing, she found bloodstains amongst the brambles and the rock, along with a few tiny snags of the shimmering thin flesh, and much larger, intact scale, better condition than even her Huntmaster's little trophy. Truth be told, the ones she found were all more vibrant than his, with more of a violet edge to the outline, a few carrying a little fleck of white not unlike the strip in her bag. She knelt to inspect the ground, hoping to find anything else, a track, perhaps - and she found one.

But this was a human's.

It was a little smaller than her own, but truthfully, she wore fairly large shoes, so that wasn't unusual. It didn't look like usual sneakers, it looked more like the treads of a pair of boots built for the outdoors. Did another hunter get here before her? Was she already running behind?

She cursed herself for taking her sweet time, running her hand through her sweat slicked hair. It was barely afternoon, and with the wreckage no longer having a canopy to shade her, the sun was free to beat down on her body. She had to decide where to go from here. If the creature - whatever it may be - was no longer here, it must have gotten up and moved somewhere. If something tried to drag it away to eat it, there would be more of a clear removal of debris, or at the very least more signs of snags in the brambles that densely populated this side of the river. But all she found was the same footprints, sparesely patterned around back to the river, and down the trail to town. She could only infer someone had been looking, much like her, and come up empty, much like her. Unless she just picked up the scraps. She couldn't count on either being neither true nor false.

Looks like the night shift would have a lot of chatting up the locals, maybe an extra drink on the house to loosen some lips if she thought they might have something useful locked up in there. Day shift would be combing the forest clean, though this would take a lot of time. A hand on her chin as she strolled back into the woods, figuring she may as well use the next few hours of daylight to start looking for any clues in the surrounding area, a thought came to mind.

Her and Ace could use a vacation to go camping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we have Keiran's name! : D Absolutely nothing else to worry about. Everything is fine.


	9. Vacation plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW - mention of self harm/past self harm

By the time Marie got home, Keiran was long tucked back away in the bedroom. Ace had cleaned up the dishes and put them away by then, removing any and all evidence. The duvet had made it's way back to his room from the dryer, and though it had definitely stained, it wasn't as bad as Ace thought it would be. Keiran didn't seem to mind at all, his drowsiness returning after a thoroughly enjoyed meal, burying himself comfortably under the thick blanket and the swiftly insulated pocket of heat it brought. Now that Ace knew he was basically supposed to be hibernating this time of year, he was a little curious what had him out and about enough to lead to their encounter, but he hadn't seemed too ecstatic to talk about it beyond the implications of another dragon being in a sour mood.

Marie was exhausted, having trudged around the woods for hours rather fruitlessly. After she decided not a lot was gonna turn up near town other than the crash site, she went a little farther to scout out somewhere they could set up camp. She didn't like the idea of dragging Ace into this, but he'd been talking about a vacation for months now, and as much as they enjoyed each other's company, she knew she wouldn't have any trouble convincing him he could enjoy some alone time with his thoughts. She took her usual seat at the counter, laying her arms on the cool surface, pressing her cheek down into it as it sapped some of the excess heat that still radiated off her body from the long summer day.

"So.. How was work?"

Ace broke the silence, peering over at Marie's collapsed form from his idle task with the television set. It was broken as it was, so it wasn't too much of a big deal if he tried fiddling with it to fix it, right? Marie sighed heavily, glancing up at Ace with clear lack of enthusiasm.

"It was boring. Unplug it first."

Ace stopped short of his motion, looking to the outlet and chucking to mask his embarrassment, pulling the plug to the electronic before tapping his hand to his chin, waving it downward, signing his thanks. Things like this really, really weren't part of his skill set, but it wasn't like they had the spare cash to pay someone else to do it, especially not with the stove acting up again and leaving them down a burner. Food was a necessity, entertainment wasn't so much so, they could find other things to do.

"Boring? The guys leaving you out again?"

His tone was a little apologetic. He wished deep down he could go give her coworkers and _especially_ her boss a piece of his mind, but aside from the fact that she wouldn't even tell her what the job was, he knew that was her battle. If he fought it for her, nothing would change, and if anything, it would get worse behind her back over the fact that a man had to come to her defense. She was more than capable, and if she hadn't knocked them to their knees with their tails between their legs already, she must have had a reason, and he would have to respect that.

Marie let her face fall back on the cool polished wood. It wasn't as cold as she'd like, but she supposed she could get an ice pack out of the freezer if she really wanted to complain.

"Not exactly. More like telling me to do the impossible, because apparently pulling through in the past just set me up with insane expectations and none of the respect."

Ace frowned, he could hardly picture anyone _not_ respecting her and living to tell the tale. She was, sure, like an older sister to him, but that was how she operated with _everyone_ to some degree. She would look after everyone under her wing, be that protecting them or protecting others _from_ them. He fiddled idly with cords, checking for any visible issues, and sighing to himself when he found none - guess the solution wasn't that easy.

"You know I wish you'd let me help ya out."

Marie stood up on unwilling legs, opening the freezer to stick an ice bag on the back of her neck.

"I know. But you have enough on your plate already, I'll be fine."

Ace pinched the bridge of his nose, both out of frustration with the television and with the conversation.

"You're working full time on the night shift, you go out on these meetings every week and they pile on who knows what that you slave away at in the daylight, on top of your schoolwork. I just work the day shift and clean up the house a little, you know that's not an even workload."

Marie couldn't help but smile a little at his frustration, knowing it came from a good place. Once she was comfortably back in her place at the counter, she gave it a little pat, Ace looking up on reflex at the unspoken invitation to come sit.

"I don't mind it, really. Besides, don't act like I don't know you've got a side gig. Where else would you be getting the money to stock the fridge the way you've been doin lately?"

Ace's cheeks threatened to flush, and he cleared his throat harshly to pull himself back together, taking his seat at the counter and leaving the repair project aside. It wasn't going that well, anyways.

"I uh, I've had a little bit saved up, and uh.."

Marie would never press for what he did in his personal time, but she knew from experience how quickly he would squirm if it was brought up, and it was if nothing else, a redirection.

"Ahuh, and you thought you'd splurge on some luxuries. What's the occasion?"

To Marie, this was a fairly innocent question. To Ace, this was a terrifying reason to come up with an excuse, and fast. He couldn't say he was on another diet, that subject was still too hot to touch on again. So he made a little less than a half truth.

"Oh, uh, it isn't that much of a splurge, really, a friend cut me a deal."

She paused a little, he was acting funny. The man who ran the butcher shop was on good terms with them, sure - especially her for business purposes, though she made it pretty clear he needed to keep mum about that to Ace - but he would have just said it was the butcher.

"A friend? You mean the butcher?"

Ace was thankful in that moment that he was talking to Marie, and not Keiran, who would surely hear his heart picking up, he was off his game and not prepared.

"No, uh, the guy who caught it. I haven't caught his name, sorry."

Marie masked her tension, smiling in understanding. He was talking about a hunter. She made it pretty clear that if the boys were going to listen to a single thing she said, it was to stay away from her brother, or she'd break them where they stood. But they didn't take her seriously to begin with, so of course someone was getting buddy buddy with him and trying to butter him up.

They called themselves hunters, and while they did primarily supply meats and furs to the town economy, what she hadn't been made aware of until it was a little too late to back out was that they weren't exclusively known for hunting animals. If you had the money for it, and you knew who to talk to, you could make people go away. Having grown up in a much more regulated city, where people were accounted for and surveyed semi-frequently, she hadn't ever realized how easily you could fall off the map unnoticed in a more isolated place like this. Her and Ace's families almost never contacted them, and they just as rarely sent word back. They only had each other, despite their pleasant enough terms with their neighbors. Their disappearances would never be too hard to cover up, Ace was easily pinned for one to wander off into the woods and not come back, and the only folks that would ask where she went besides him were the regular midnight drunks who would be too plastered to remember they were even worried by the next morning.

"Oh? What's he look like? I don't get to see the hunters come by town often."

Marie was fluent in half truths, too.

Ace held his hands on his thighs below the counter edge, fingers shivering like a child's caught in a lie, which he was. What he should have just agreed to having been a splurge on a treat was becoming a problem.

"Uhh.. Dark hair? Shorter than us, wore a lotta dark colors."

Marie bit her tongue, that could describe half of her coworkers, easily. Her and Ace were taller than most, so that didn't help narrow it down in the slightest. More than half the town had either black or a deep brown color atop their heads, and hunters tended to dress dark to help them blend in. She would have to pick some brains again. But she brushed it aside, at least it was a start, and she'd have time to scope things out next week. Speaking of.

"Huh.. noted, I guess. By the by, I've been meaning to ask, I'm feelin' a vacation soon, how's about you?"

Ace felt his muscles start to untense at the immense relief of shifting subjects. He'd gotten away with it, for now. And truth be told? He needed a break more than he'd admit, a vacation sounded phenomenal.

"I thought you'd never ask! Whatcha got in mind?"

Marie switched hands that nested the ice pack on her rapidly cooling shoulders, palm getting chilled a little numb.

"Camping sounds nice, I know we've got a tent somewhere in the den of horrors."

Ace chuckled, for as much as the basement got under his skin, she hated it more than he did. He was thrilled with the idea, though, camping was right up his alley. A chance to get away from people for a while, get some sweet fresh air, enjoy the last parts of summer? Sign him up.

"I can check around the basement for it, when do ya wanna go? Gotta give the boss some heads up 'n all so he can get our shifts covered."

Marie took a little breath of relief at getting to avoid the basement thanks to Ace's mercy. She could handle the dark, she liked to think she could see a little better than most in low lighting, but she hated feeling boxed in, no windows, only one door. It was honestly a safety hazard, but not much could be done about it, it wasn't their fault the house wasn't exactly built up to code. One of these days they'd get some renovations and get the darn thing an outside entrance.

"How about next week? We're running out of summer pretty quick, so we might as well."

It was a little sudden, but Ace smiled, he could work with that. Words on a dime could be tough, plans on a dime was easy. He checked his calendar, though he knew just as well as Marie that neither of them had any particular plans.

"Next monday, then?"

Marie nodded, getting up off her chair, and starting to inspect the fridge for something to start dinner with. Ace felt his stomach turn a little at the idea of more food, realizing he broke his usual habit of waiting for her to get home. He made a note in his phone to help remind himself of the packing deadline, looks like they're leaving mid-August.

"What're you feelin' for dinner? It's my turn."

Ace shook his head, he at least had a good excuse this time for his slip-up.

"I'm good, actually. I already ate, wasn't sure how late you'd be out, and I gotta work in the mornin', it's about time for me to turn in."

Marie took his word with no resistance, aware she was out several hours later than her usual sunday habit. With a small apology, she set aside the idea of dinner for a short term, hoping to spend at least a little time visiting with her brother before their weekend drew to yet another close.

\--------------------

Keiran awoke to the sound of the bedroom doorknob clicking open. He flinched, having woken up at least once already to the sound of Ace speaking with the other human, easing at the sight of the familiar face, eyes barely peering past the edge of the blanket. Ace was favoring his leg as he closed the door and made his way to his dresser to find a clean set of clothes.

"Is your leg alright?"

Ace jumped on his toes, not having realized the dragon was awake again. He awkwardly rubbed the back of his thigh, sore but not too troublesome, and selected his clean shirt and a pair of pajama pants.

"It's fine, just a little sore. How'd you know?"

Keiran sat up, blanket affixed over his shoulders by the edges of shoulder scales, and tilted his head, pointing at the leg Ace was keeping his weight off of.

"You're not standing on it, and I heard your cry earlier."

Ace winced at the tiny blow to his pride, he thought he'd gotten good at gritting his teeth and not sounding like such a baby by now when it came to his shot. But he reassured himself that Keiran just had unusually sensitive ears, so it must not have been too bad.

"It's nothing, I'll feel fine by work tomorrow, it happens every week."

Keiran scanned him with concern as Ace walked off to the bathroom, informing him he was going to take a shower before calling it a night. He knew Ace had hurt himself once already, to cover his tracks and hide him. Was he doing the same thing now?

Once the door closed, Keiran got up from the bed, leaving the duvet in a half bunched pile. It hurt to move still, but it was getting considerably easier to tolerate. He kept his steps light, pacing the wall beside the covered window, mindful to keep his tail from whipping into anything as his mind picked itself through for possibilities. He touched his thigh, so it must hurt there. He said it wasn't bad, but given how little he reacted to his own self inflicted injuries, he could gather he had at least a good control over his reactions, if not a good pain tolerance. Every week? What could that be for? Was he getting into trouble consistently, or was he maybe paying his stay in this territory in some twisted way? He wasn't sure how human territories worked, but it wasn't uncommon to offer a sacrifice of some sort as trade for shelter in certain zones, be it to a higher power or as a pleasant exchange with the locals. He'd traded his way around enough times to know that, but no one ever dealt in injuries like that. Then again, he never heard anyone else come in the house, so other than himself, that left...

_Marie._

Ace took a moment to himself in the shelter of the bathroom, removing his bandages from his arm and lightly tracing the scabs. None of them were swollen, and none were particularly itchy or discolored, to his relief. He kept his knife clean enough, but the last thing he needed was to start scratching at his wounds and end up making them worse or bruising them just because of his own lack of spotless hygiene. Idle thoughts crossed him as he looked himself over, upper arms littered with faded marks from years past, hardly visible to anyone but himself, who was painfully aware of their presence. He didn't bother trying to remember them all, but it was still no easy task to push them aside. He rubbed at his sore neck one handed, eyes wandering over the mirror. He was littered with scars, some old from childhood blunders, some new. His idle hand brushed the two thick lines beneath his chest, though a little smile followed, he supposed he didn't mind them all so bad. Some carried memories he could be more proud of, they were his battle trophies, rather than reminders of mistakes.

He got the water going, considerably hotter than he set it for Keiran. As the mirror fogged, he pried himself off his self inspection. He would prefer a shower every day, but he honestly didn't have the energy for it so frequently, and now that he was looking after Keiran, he had even less to work with. But he was alright with that, he found himself a little more active overall now. Marie took care of herself just fine, and rarely needed his help beyond the trade-off of meals and sharing household chores. As much as he wanted Keiran to be healthy, he enjoyed feeling useful. He didn't like feeling like a burden. He hoped Keiran didn't feel like a burden.

Stepping into the hot shower, he hissed as his skin was forced to adjust to the sudden scald, flushing under the heat as he gave himself a once over from hair down. He struggled to work any shampoo through the knotted mess of locks, but once he conceded and reached out of the shower for his hairbrush, he began to make progress, untangling it from the ends up. With the length of it less bunched up, weighted down by the water, it ended just past his hips. Once he'd tamed his disaster of a mane, he re-washed it with considerable more success, finishing with a little excessive amounts of conditioner. While he let it set, he scrubbed his skin even further pink, taking enjoyment in the faint burn of the outer layer being scraped away. It was things like this that made him wish he had the energy to upkeep a more consistent hygiene routine. He never let himself get too out of hand, but he often had to prioritize what was worth cleaning and what needed more immediate attention. Such was the battle, but he'd gotten much better since he was a teenager, and all things considered? He showered at least thrice a week, he ate at least once a day, he didn't shut down his social battery the instant he was off shift, he took walks and he had a hobby or two. He was more than just functional, and that was better than he could hope for.

He knew he was his own responsibility, and to give himself credit for putting in the effort, but really? He had Marie to thank, even if she wouldn't let him. She was the one always pushing him to get off his rear and do what he needed to do for himself, and as much as his parents tried the same, it only seemed to get him in gear when _she_ told him to. He chuckled to himself while he let muscle memory handle his shaving, not too concerned if he slipped and got a few nicks. Marie always had a different kind of authority to her.

Ace finished up his shower, not sweating the details as he messily dried off, wrapping his hair up atop his head in the coil of the towel and throwing his clothes on. Pleasantly refreshed, he opened the door with the intent to go sit himself down in his chair and try to get some shut-eye before work, with enough time to get almost a full night's sleep this time. Keiran apparently had other plans, snapping to attention and practically leaping over Ace's bed on all fours, stumbling back up to his feet after clearing the room before Ace could finish craning his neck back in surprise.

"Uh, hi?"

Keiran flicked a tongue at him in inspection, somewhat disappointed at the muted scent of the human, though he expected it would be the case after a bath. His attention fixed down to first Ace's arm, then his leg. The human squirmed a little under the silent stare, crossing his arms over his chest loosely.

"Can I help you?"

Keiran blinked, having once again forgotten he needed to speak to convey his emotions. His ears twitched back as he scratched at the back of his chin, clearing some of the excess oils that had built up as a natural response to the new environment. His body, once deciding this den was no longer an active threat, apparently was expectant for him to start marking it, given there were no other dragon scents declaring it claimed. It was a little itchy, and he was at least aware what it was, so he tried to manage it by discreetly letting the edge of the duvet brush around his neck in his nap. He knew it didn't belong to him, but he could also guess the human's sensitivity to scent was a lot lower than his, in accordance with the rest of his sense, so humans didn't seem to mark their things by scent.

"Your wounds. You said I could help you with them."

Ace winced a little, he wasn't entirely sure how delicate of a touch the dragon would have, but he supposed he did agree to it, and he could brace for it. Surely, it wouldn't hurt more than the original infliction anyways. Putting his hands up in quick surrender, he walked past Keiran to sit in his chair, crossing his leg and propping the damaged arm on the side.

"Fine, fine, I'm a man of my word. But do you have to do it now?"

Keiran withheld the hiss at the sting of his leg as he scurried to the bedside, retrieving the wooden box of supplies and the jar of medicine and awkwardly cradling them in his arms on his way back to Ace's chair.

"You said you wanted to sleep soon, so if I do it now, you can sleep sooner."

Ace smirked, scratching at his cheek. He supposed he didn't just have to watch his words around Marie, but around Keiran, too. Despite having yet to meet her, he could guess Keiran and her would get along, at the very least on the subject of Ace himself. Keiran gave him almost the same stern look of concern that Marie did so often, now that he thought about it.

"Yeah, fair enough. You want any help?"

Ace rolled up his sleeve, and Keiran shook his head, unscrewing the lid to the jar and wrinkling his nose at the strange smell. He had watched Ace handle his own wounds, and applied it once before to his tail, so he had watched and practiced the routine, comfortable in his ability to piece it together. Medicine, bandage, sticky strip, easy enough.

"I can do it."

Ace braced himself silently as Keiran dipped a finger in the jar, the dragon shuddering a little at the odd texture and the way it made his fingers tingle, losing a little feeling almost on contact. Keiran hovered over Ace's arm for a moment, and then with the gentle, delicate touch lighter than a feather, applied the cream over each line. His trajectory wasn't perfect, brushing just a little past the ends of each soft swipe, but he had no trouble getting the job done. Content with himself, he mimicked Ace's care routine, wiping the small excess of the medicine onto a patch of the fabric around his thigh, before starting to rummage through the gauze pads and trying to measure out strips of medical tape with visual approximation. Ace had since eased his muscles, curiously watching Keiran. He supposed he didn't just pick up quickly on musical tunes exclusively.

"Huh."

Keiran glanced up, but continued his patchwork of bandages when he saw no distress on Ace's face.

"What?"

"I hadn't expected you to be so.. gentle."

Keiran flattened his ears a little.

"Why not?"

He lifted the bandage quilt up, carefully placing it on Ace's wounds, and wrapping the strips of tape snugly around his arm.

"I dunno, I guess I didn't take you for the delicate type."

Keiran huffed lightly, not looking up at Ace as he shuffled through the wooden box, Ace feeling his arm over softly and rolling his sleeve back down.

"I'm not. But you're fragile."

Ace sputtered, taken aback but amused on the same beat. He held his good arm up, flexing the muscle as if to prove a point - he was by no means built like a truck, but he was far from flimsy - unsuccessfully impressing the dragon.

"Fragile? I can take a punch to the face and walk it off like it was a butterfly kiss."

Keiran rolled his eyes. Ace wouldn't last ten minutes in his home territory. He waited patiently for Ace to finish his little display, not admitting he found the attempt charming. Ace snickered, giving up on his show, relaxing back into his chair and pulling his legs up to get himself comfortable. He flinched when Keiran put a hand on his ankle, looking down at him with confusion as the dragon looked up with equal amounts of expectation.

"You still have another wound."

Ace cocked his head, Keiran letting go as he was satisfied he had his attention. Ace wasn't hiding anything, what was he talking about? Keiran seemed to read his blank stare well enough, looking down at Ace's thigh and back, ears tilted.

"Oh, no no, that one doesn't need any help."

Keiran frowned, huffing a little more audibly in frustration. He couldn't understand this double standard very well - he said his own wounds were fine, but Ace insisted. That in mind, he got up to his feet, placing a hand on Ace's thigh and cocking an ear, pushing away his frustrated brow tension.

"You said I could."

While Keiran's tone was soft, Ace still flinched on reflex, heart skipping in fear at the move made. He didn't even really think about it. He snatched Keiran by the wrist and shoved his hand off with a tense fist, eyes wide. Keiran was about to hiss on reflex at the sudden movement, but as his mouth opened, he tasted fear, and his eyes met the wide gaze of the human. His ears fell, and he loosened his arm, gently tugging his hand out of Ace's grip, who seemed to realize what he'd done, tearing his sight away and curling his legs a little closer up to his chest, swallowing harshly and setting up his pillow.

"...Ace?"

Keiran wasn't entirely sure what he'd done wrong, but the growing unease that weighed the air made his mistake clear enough. He pulled his hands to his chest, recalling how Ace handled his own defensive behavior, and took a small step backwards to put more space between the two of them. Ace took a breath, then looked up at Keiran, avoiding his eyes.

"Keiran?"

Keiran didn't like the way he said his name, this time. Before, it was comfortable, with interest. This time, it was lower, flatter. He looked away uncomfortably, curling his tail around his own legs, twitching at the itch that crept along the end.

"I don't know what I did wrong, but I didn't mean to scare you."

Ace was still a little cold from his emotional whiplash, but he felt himself ease a bit. He had to remind himself the dragon was different, socially, from other people. He unfolded his legs a bit, closing his eyes as he brought his thoughts in order while Keiran waited with unease.

"Sorry, it's just... some spots, I get kinda jumpy."

Keiran nodded, relieved a little by the notion that it wasn't specifically his touch, but _where_ he touched that was the mistake. Aware he wasn't the problem himself, he retook his small step, keeping his hands to himself as Ace's eyes reopened and monitored him from the side.

"Just your leg?"

Ace paused, shaking his head a little, crossing his legs subconsciously in defense.

"No, those are just a big one. Just.. ask first, or at least warn a man. It's a little complicated."

Keiran was able to accept this without trouble. He didn't want his tail touched by surprise, or his wings for sure, but he supposed he was more alright with it when others asked him first, and could apply the same logic to Ace. That in mind, he picked up the medical supplies, offering them a quizzical Ace who raised a brow at the gesture.

"If you don't want me to touch it, it's okay if you do it."

As Ace started to tilt his head, unsure why Keiran was so insistent, the dragon unfurled his tail off his legs and waved it up at his side to remind him of their previous exchange. Ace sighed, smiling a little at the innocence of it.

"Alright, alright. I'll take care of it in the morning though, okay? I really wanna get some sleep before it gets too late. I've got a lotta things to handle this week."

Keiran wanted to argue, but he supposed it was fair, and set the supplies down by the chair, making his way back to the bed to sit himself down, debating if it was even worth staying awake with nothing to do but wait for Ace to awaken at dawn, or if he was going to get more rest himself, his body's slowed metabolism for the season putting up no resistance to the idea of more slumber. His ears perked at a thought.

"Hey, Ace? When's monday?"

\--------------------

Marie didn't bother going to bed as quickly as Ace did, she couldn't sleep yet anyways. She sat on her bedroom floor, back against the foot of her bed with the contents of her bag mostly emptied and spread across the carpet on a thin bedsheet to prevent losing track of anything. One strip of a strange, thick leathery membrane. A handful of broken little keratin plates. One perfectly intact. She hadn't been able to salvage the tinier strings of the membrane from the site, they weren't really recognizable enough to be worth it. She had a map set out to her side, and one of her reference books in front of her. She flipped through it with utmost focus, comparing the intact scale to every image she could find, praying to find something that at least gave her some kind of lead. It would be disappointing, but believable to find out it was an ordinary creature, though nothing truly matched up.

Finally, something looked just a little similar. Vipers. It wasn't a perfect match - the colors were off, she found it impossible that she would only find the dark scales, and nothing was listed about the purple sheen. This scale was much bigger, too. And besides, no snake was anywhere near big enough to cause that much damage, and she was fairly certain they lived too far north of the habitat range. But it was a start, something comparable. She tried to tell herself the damage might have been human, by some stretch. Shooting stars weren't too out of the question, either, this far from light pollution the heavens were that much more clear. Maybe this was all just a strange, strange coincidence of occurrences. Her eyes trailed back to the odd, leathery membrane. But she had to be prepared for the insane, improbable, next to impossible chance. Dragons were spoken of in hushed circles, rumors flew around, but for the most part they were just folklore, and those that claimed they'd seen them conveniently never had any evidence. Her boss was one of those folks, claiming he'd seen one in his prime. She never believed him. But for the first time, she questioned her belief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really out here just pretending I don't have other things to do so I can work on this, huh  
> I'm having a hell of a time getting to nudge a little closer to character limits and different sides of dynamics between characters. Shake up the writing jar just a little, see what happens-
> 
> I'm also just kind of a disaster for mundane passive fluff. I love it, I live for it, it breathes life into me.


	10. Trainee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, chapter contains mentions of sexual themes and gross dudes being creepy.
> 
> Not a lot of the boys in this one, sorry.

Ace blinked his eyes open, against his drowsiness. Keiran was staring at him still, and he saw a flicker of forked tongue for a moment. He checked the time, just before midnight.

"Uh, Technically in about ten minutes, why?"

The dragon sat up straight, looking around with unease at the quiet room, eventually staring at Ace's bag, sat on the floor beside his chair.

"You're leaving so soon?"

Ace's eyes shot wide open. He'd forgotten _entirely_ about Keiran when he agreed to go camping next week, and while he was definitely getting along with the dragon, he wasn't so sure it was a good idea to leave him alone with the house. He would run out of medicine, he would surely get bored out of his mind, would he even be comfortable leaving the house at night? He didn't know how to use anything here, and while Ace could cover their tracks before Marie got home, Keiran didn't know what would get Marie's attention or where to hide evidence when necessary.

"N... No, not until next week."

Well, Ace was very, very awake now. Keiran paused, trying to read the human's face, but he kept it mostly blank and distant. After a moment of silence as Ace's thoughts mulled over a game plan, Keiran shuffled off the bed. Ace's attention was caught by the movement as he limped to the window, plopping himself on the floor under the sliver of moonlight that glowed from under the coverings, and laid down on his side, adjusting his body to bring his knees up and his tail around his exposed side, back to the wall.

"Uh.. You okay?"

Keiran nodded, eyes flicking up to the bed and back to Ace.

"You should sleep in your nest."

Ace blinked a little, the cramp in his neck crying out in agreement with his dragon companion's idea. He was aching something fierce in the mornings, but some stretches worked it out, and the floor didn't look particularly comfortable, he'd rather Keiran sleep somewhere decent.

"I'm okay, I don't want you to have to sleep on the floor."

Keiran was going to argue, but he was starting to learn that Ace always had another excuse up his sleeve. That in mind, he sized up the bed. It wasn't big enough for them to lay side by side and have some elbow room, but it was bigger than the nest in the main room.

"Then we can both use it."

Ace pinched the bridge of his nose, the distraction letting his anxiety dwindle and his exhaustion creep back into it's place. He was too tired to really argue, shuffling to his somewhat unwilling feet and collapsing on his long missed mattress, content sigh escaping at the much needed cushion. He had a full size mattress, which meant he could comfortably stretch out as needed, but it wasn't particularly the best size to share without being caught in close quarters. He scootched himself to the very edge of the bed, putting his phone on his nighstand, and glanced over his shoulder, hopeful he was able to make enough room. He wasn't even sure he'd be able to sleep with someone else in his bed, he was amazed he was getting any sleep with someone in the same _room._

Keiran got up, pulling himself onto the foot of the bed, and curled himself up, taking up surprisingly minimal room nestled against the foot board for support. As if this was completely normal - for someone to sleep in a ball at the end of the mattress - Keiran settled into the coil of his tail and the shelter of his wings, eyes shut tight.

Ace opened his mouth to question it, but he was just too tired. This was weird, he was exhausted, he would deal with his thoughts tomorrow. Before he could finish adjusting his pillow, his consciousness left him for better prospects and he drifted to sleep.

\--------------------

Work was busy most days. He wasn't under slept, at least, but he was getting tired of the late night drunks coming in at the crack of dawn to refresh their buzz, half passed out and rowdy as ever. He barked a sharp "Oy, knock it off." more times than he preferred, not being very practiced in lowering or projecting his voice. Though, he took thanks in the fact that his height and less than scrawny appearance earned him at least a little obedience when he called upon a intimidation. He had texted their boss the night before to give him a warning about their upcoming vacation, and with Marie's agreement, said a couple weeks should do, if it could be arranged. And despite the short notice, the boss had gotten some folks to agree to switch up shifts for a bit, and called in a new hire.

So for the week, Ace had an extra set of hands manning the bar with him. A sweet little thing, the boss called her (And fairly accurately so) - a girl Ace initially questioned if she was even old enough to tend the liquor. She apparently got that a lot, having her I.D. handy to prove her case. He hadn't needed that much evidence, he assured, he knew their boss wouldn't put a kid behind the counter like that, and apologized for his assumption.

"It's no problem, I'm used to it." She had said.

He offered her an apologetic smile as he took chairs off tables, the tavern not yet open.

"I know the feeling, until about last year or so, everyone thought I was no older than 14."

The girl raised her brows, skeptical. She had asked their boss for a rundown on who would be training her, and she swore the man was older than her. Ace shrugged, giving the table a quick wipe with a rag as the girl mirrored his actions on a matching surface.

"Late bloomer, I take it?"

Ace twisted his back as he finished with the table, moving onto the next.

"You could say that, yeah. Say, I didn't catch your name."

She frowned a bit, crossing the room to the last unattended table.

"You already saw my I.D."

Ace set the last chair with a gentle click on the polished wooden floor, wiping an itch off the end of his nose with his sleeve.

"I saw you're over 21. I didn't look for anything else."

She tilted her head at him, though he didn't seem to notice. Ace made his way back towards the kitchen door, the girl following, to make sure that it wasn't too trashed over the weekend. But he always showed up early in the mornings, just to be safe. It was a salaried shift, so it didn't really get him any extra money, but he didn't mind it - it gave him a chance to make sure he was equipped to run the day smoothly.

"Delilah."

Ace smiled as he scanned the kitchen, putting a few cooking utensils back where they belonged, though pleased to find them clean.

"Nice ta meetcha, Delilah. I'm Ace."

Delilah scanned the kitchen after him, making mental note as he gave her a brief rundown of where to find what, which door was the freezer and which was the walk in fridge - showing her the failsafe for both doors in case they ever got stuck, "It's never happened, but you'll kick yourself in the rear the day you aren't prepared" - where to write down if they ever ran unusually short on something and would need to send someone on a quick stop to the market, the like. Halfway through, he started up a pot of coffee, answering before she could question.

"Always start a pot in the mornin'. Even if nobody else ends up wanting some, you're gonna need it."

Once he finished giving her the tour of the kitchen, where she would be starting off the morning in so he could handle the usual first crowd and not throw her to the wolves on her first day, he gave her a quick walk through the back of the bar counter, making note that everything was for the most part labeled, and how he kept it organized. He worked the long shift, 5 days a week - from the crack of summer's dawn to late afternoon - it was basically _his_ bar.

"Any questions?"

Delilah looked over her notepad, having scribbled down a few things to note as they'd gone along, and shook her head, tucking the pad in her apron pocket.

"Not really. I think I've got everything. Are we ready to open?"

He nodded, crossing the dining room to unlock the door, flipping the sign to "open" and pretending not to notice some of the town drunks nonchalantly waiting a few buildings over. He could practically feel the looming approach as he made his way back behind the bar, and he waved for Delilah to make her way to the kitchen. She frowned, crossing her arms a bit.

"I thought I was supposed to shadow you."

He waved again at the door, with a little more urgency.

"Yeah, but trust me, you're better off back there for now."

Delilah scowled a little, but he knew that sort of scowl. Marie made that scowl when she talked about her coworkers, and he cursed himself silently that he'd already somehow managed to get off on the wrong foot.

"Oh, is it because I'm a woman? The kitchen is where I belong?"

He hadn't even thought about the implications. He heard the front glass door click open, the little bell ringing to announce the first patron. He hesitated, but put a hand on Delilah's shoulder, which only garnered a deeper scowl.

"That's not it at all, just- look, trust me for just ten minutes."

He hadn't even thought about how much his voice had softened in pitch, on reflex. Marie had to fight her way up among some of the regulars here, and while he had barely a quarter of the trouble, he'd heard her experiences first hand, and the last thing he wanted was for the short statured girl to immediately get a nasty taste of some of the awful the things a band of intoxicated men could say. Delilah glared at him, hard, but she needed this job, and so she complied, a small stomp in her step as she passed behind the door, out of sight. She leaned her back to the wall, listening through the opening behind the bar wall that enabled the tender to communicate with whoever was on kitchen duty when shifts overlapped.

Ace leaned his elbows on the counter, postured forward and with a glass in hand. The first patron sauntered up, messy black hair fell in curls not unlike Marie's - if she were to let them get unruly and unkempt. His cheeks were a faded rose, and a little telltale red blush rested on his throat. Ace knew him, and his friends, though not by name, and he would never care to.

"Ey-yyy, Ace! Missedtchu all weekend, boy! Nonna those uppity folks pour half's hard as you do!"

Ace put on his friendly smile as the quartet plopped themselves on barstools, rifling for their wallets, equally as intoxicated as the first. Ace knew their regular drinks of choice, and was already putting ice in a set of four glasses as he rifled for the appropriate bottles, muttering to himself that the weekend tender always mixed up a few. As he began his infamous loose pours, one of the four spoke up, pointing a swaying finger towards the kitchen door.

"Say, who's the cute new piece'a-"

Ace set the whiskey bottle on the counter a little hard, his smile saying "friendly" and the intensity of his eyes saying "Shut your mouth." as the brunet withdrew his hand, startled by the noise.

"That's my trainee."

The brunet cracked a smile, propping his cheek on his hand.

"Ooh, I'd love to see more'a her."

Delilah felt an uncomfortable twist in her stomach from the kitchen, stuffing a hand in her gray apron and softly clenching her fist around ghostly pale shoulder length hair. Ace dropped his smile, passing out drinks and resting his hand on his hip. Boss always said to be nice to the patrons, even if they aren't nice to you - hospitality and all - but boss isn't here.

The gaggle of men had their laugh at the implied crude joke, and Ace waited patiently for them to finish. When their hollering died down, he planted both palms on the counter, leaning over it and taking an uncomfortably long, calm breath, looking the brunet dead in the eyes. They all quieted down, unsure how to handle the sudden shift of tone.

"I hear you give her even one halfa lick of trouble while I'm gone, and I'll handle your asses _outside_ the tavern."

Delilah herself shivered at the depth of his tone, nothing compared to the cold sweat that hit the boys, brunet especially. Ace leaned back to his side of the counter, idly picking up a glass to assure it was clean to his standards.

"That goes for _everybody._ Y'all can play nice for the couple weeks I'm outta town, right? I'd hate to hear you folks got in'ta any trouble."

The brunet opened his mouth, but was cut off by the man with the curly dark locks, who was just drunk enough to lean on the counter and sneer.

"That's soundin' like a threat to me, Ace. You wouldn't threaten anyone, would you?"

Ace smiled, though it was more devilish than friendly, his tone bright and cheery.

"Ohoh, of course not, pal. I only make promises."

The third member of the band piped up, the ratty dirty blonde that thought he was all tough in his leather clad outfit.

"Sonny boy, I think the boss man would love to hear about how snappy you've gotten with his customers."

Ace set down his glass, glee in his smile and voice practically dripping with a twisted tone, stretching over the counter and pointing a finger square in the snarky man's chest.

"Honey, I think the wife would _love_ to hear about how much you pay to be stickin' it in a man's mouth. Might really spice up that boring bedroom life'a yours."

The blonde sputtered, his friends craning to stare at him with wide eyes and silence. He stammered to call Ace's bluff, assure them the man was lying, when Ace stepped back, turning his back halfway to the group and flipping through his phone nonchalantly. He left it at just the angle he needed, flipping through his photos, to shut the blonde right back up.

"You know where to go if the wife ever wants a third, I'm sure I could teach you a thing or two about how to make her tick."

The blonde flushed, irate, but kept his mouth shut as Ace slipped his phone back in his pocket, patting visibly beside his knife sheath. They could cry like a wounded canary to the boss all they wanted, but he was boss' favorite tender, and he could play plenty innocent. As the man hushed quiet, nursing his drink and wounded pride, Ace gave the remaining three a quick scan over as if to challenge them to dare take a shot at him. When they all averted their eyes to their drinks, he gave a content nod, resuming his warm smile and tending to his mixed up bottles.

Delilah flushed beet red over otherwise pale features, hands over her mouth to contain a - a gasp? a laugh? she wasn't sure - as Ace leaned back on the kitchen window frame, idly calling back to her hideaway room.

"Oy, can you get a pair of breakfast plates goin for me back there? Scrambled, over-medium, sub the toast for english muffin on 'em."

Delilah paused, collecting herself and cursing the tiny stutter in her voice. She hadn't heard a single one of the men speak since Ace's little scene.

"Can I.. get a name for it?"

Ace smiled at the elder couple that approached the glass door, hands intertwined as the man held the entry open for his wife, who thanked him with a smile.

"Ace's favorite customers."

Delilah found a comfort in the softness that resumed his tone, and shook her head, rolling up her sleeves and getting to work. Ace smiled and waved at the couple as they approached to greet him, the man stepping out from behind the bar to offer them each a gentle side hug in turn.

"Good mornin' Iris, you're as stunning as ever my dear - And good mornin' Will, I'm lovin' those sharp new threads, the tailor's treatin you well!"

The pair beamed at his greeting, letting him walk them to their usual window table, which he had left a little fold of paper on - origami kissing cranes, connected perfectly by just a sliver at the tips of their beaks. He made one every morning for them, and would pick out different patterned papers if not make the patterns himself. This morning has a sort of lacy dotted edge to the wings, and a little dot of pink on the cheeks. He helped them to their seats, and out of formality, offered them the menu, but as usual, they politely declined and asked for their usual. He smiled, nodding back to the kitchen door as Delilah exited as if on cue, two plates in hand, scanning the room.

She hesitated at first when she felt the eyes of the quartet at the bar fall on her, but upon seeing Ace in the far corner, she recalled the prior scene and felt enough confidence return for her to fuel her voice.

"Two breakfast platters for.. Ah... Ace's favorite customers?"

The pair gave Ace a delighted, heartwarmed smile as he waved Delilah over, and she awkwardly set their plates in front of them, Ace pulling a pair of silverware sets rolled in their napkins from his apron and offering them up, Delilah silently cursing herself for forgetting cutlery.

"And what can I get you two to drink?"

Ace took out his own notepad, though he did it again, for formality, the two asking for their usual of coffee with cream and sugar. "You know how we like it, kiddo." Smiled William, and Ace nodded, starting to walk off by reflex before cutting himself off, gesturing briefly at Delilah, who stood fidgety with her hands crossed in front of her, looking off to the ground.

"While I get y'all set up, meet Delilah. She's the new gal - I'm gonna be outta town for a couple weeks this monday, so you'll be seein her on my shift!"

Their attention turned, he strode off, taking up the pot of coffee he'd started earlier, it having just finished up. Right on time. Delilah flushed at being abandoned so quickly, but her nerves eased a little as the couple spoke with her.

"So Ace is training you? You've got the pretty face and the bright eyes for the job, you'll do fine, sweetheart."

Normally, she'd have taken this as offending to the highest degree, a jab. But Iris was a very sweet toned older woman, reminiscent of Delilah's grandmother, and it instead touched her heart and invited a smile onto her face. She gave a small curtsy, bowing her head as she thanked the woman for the encouragement. Her husband took a small bite of his food, and looked Delilah over, appearing pleasantly surprised.

"You made this, right dear?"

Delilah again, would normally not have been fond of the pet name, but this was an exception. He was just as sweet as his wife, and his face offered nothing but kindness. She held her hands crossed, nodding again.

"Yessir, I did."

"You could have fooled me, you're on par with our boy back there, and he's our favorite cook!"

Delilah glanced over her shoulder as Ace approached, giving the two their mugs - already fixed with sugar and cream, though he left them the little bowl of sugar cubes and the miniature pitcher of cream nonetheless, knowing he would be back with more coffee in time. After they said their thanks, he took Delilah back to the bar counter, shooting a quick look over the quartet that were finishing their drinks and pulling out their wallets to pay.

"Are those your folks?"

Ace shook his head, chuckling as he knelt down to inspect his shelving one more time to ensure everything was in place.

"I wish, but no. Real coupla' dolls, they are. They swing by every mornin' and every evenin', I see em at open and Marie sees 'em off at close. Breakfast is always the same - else they'll tell ya on their way in the door - I hear dinner switches it up. Speakin' of them, if they don't come in by 8, you call boss man. They're friendsa' his, and he'll go check up on 'em. They're gettin' up there, once in a while they've been in a pinch and needed a hand. They'd always rather be paid a visit they didn't need than left hangin'. I know it ain't parta the job description, but.."

Delilah nodded, making a note and setting an alarm in her phone for 8am sharp, daily.

"No, I get it."

Ace gave her a smile, relieved he didn't have to try to persuade and that she already had a good heart in her. The quartet paid their bill and shuffled out - earlier than usual, Ace might add - and the two were left to clean up the kitchen from the first order and chat.

As Delilah scrubbed the pan she had rinsed and set by the sink, Ace wiped off the stovetop, a bit of a stickler for detail.

"I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions earlier, by the way."

Ace glanced up over his shoulder at Delilah, who was standing sideways to face him.

"Hm? Oh, it's no problem."

He smiled that ever warm smile, turning his own body to face her better as she rinsed off the pan, looking a little ashamed.

"No, I shouldn't have. I'm just.. I'm a small lady, I'm used to being kind of pushed aside."

Ace shook his head in understanding, quickly drying off the stovetop to prevent any streaking.

"I totally get it, honest. No harm, no foul."

Delilah smiled awkwardly, appreciative that they seemed to be on pleasant grounds. Ace walked past her, leaving her to finish drying the solitary pan and get back to the bar front. She swore she saw a scar on the back of his left wrist.

\--------------------

The rest of the day went off with little hitch, Delilah learning pretty quickly and Ace introducing her to a handful of other regulars (though she noticed he didn't seem to know a single one's name after the sweet elder couple) and by the last hour, when Marie came on shift, the pair were somewhat exhausted from being run ragged, but do Ace's delight, Delilah was much more confident now with the patrons, beaming and cheery. Marie came in with bags under her eyes, but she seemed just as bright as usual the instant she stepped into the tavern, crossing the dining room to sneak up behind Ace behind the bar. Delilah had been in the kitchen, and caught the sight of an unfamiliar face through the open window, and with a start, called out for Ace's attention, who whipped around on his heel and snatched Marie by the wrist on reflex. Upon instant recognition, they both laughed it off and hugged, Delilah confused but interested.

"Ace, who's that?"

Marie feigned pain, pouting and crossing her arms as Ace slid another drink to one of the more polite bar attendants.

"You didn't even tell her about me? Ouch, I thought you loved me!"

Ace stuck his tongue out, lightly faux punching her in the shoulder and propping a fist on sassy hip.

"Oh, you wish! Ay, Delilah, I'll swap you for a hot second, get out here and meet Marie!"

Delilah awkwardly passed off her cooking to Ace - she tried to tell him what she was doing, but he just laughed and said "Don't you worry, the kitchen speaks to me, I know" - and shuffled a little unsure up to Marie, who much like Ace, towered over her. She extended a shy hand up to shake in greeting, and Marie took it softly, still beaming from her brief interaction with her brother.

"Nice ta meetcha Delilah! Ace hasn't been givin' you too much trouble, has he? I can beat him up back home if he's bein' too hard on you."

Delilah's eyes widened a little, having been launched headfirst into the two's dynamic, Ace already calling from the kitchen.

"She can try, but she'll hafta catch me first!"

Marie caught on to Delilah's concern, thankfully, and through laughter, waved Ace's comment off, patting Delilah softly on the shoulder as she greeted some of her regular early shift customers.

"Don't worry, girlfriend. I'm his sister - well, sort of, call it under the table adoptive."

With a little sigh of relief, now being able to pin "siblings" as the reason (or at the very least "probably long term friends") they were so sudden, energetic, and loud with each other. She smiled, accepting the empty glass from one of the barstool occupants and taking it to the little sink to wash it out.

"Oh, I thought you might have been his girlfriend or something."

She was half joking, though the two looked nothing alike beside their height range. Marie coughed, Ace laughing from the kitchen as he parted the doors, bringing out a finished order.

"Oh, sweet summer child, no. Not a chance."

Delilah hesitated, intending to explain it was a joke and apologize, when Ace made his way back, slinging his arm over Marie's shoulders and jostling her, eliciting a smile and rolled eyes.

"Nah, Marie's _way_ too caught on ladies to have ever even let it cross her mind."

The morning duo alternated supporting Marie's customer demand and finishing up their first shift cleaning duties for the last hour, parting ways with a smile - Ace sending Marie off with a requited two finger salute - and took off their aprons outside the tavern, Ace tucking his into his bag and rolling his shoulder, idly scratching at his wrist under his long sleeve shirt.

"I think I like working with you, Ace. See you tomorrow?"

Ace smiled, offering her his outstretched fist, which she awkwardly bumped with her own.

"I should hope so, I'm always on time."

After they waved and went their separate ways - Delilah off towards the more housing side of town, Ace towards the market, he let his social side power down for a moment's peace as he handled picking up some more medicine for Keiran, some more eggs for the fridge (chicken for him and Marie, and a small tray of quail for Keiran) and for himself, a bottle of grape soda. He tried to limit indulging in the sugary treat, but he was tense, and was looking forward to something nice for himself, even if small.

When he arrived home, he was surprised to find Keiran out of his room, waiting on the couch, half bundled in the duvet.

"K- Keiran, what are you doin' out here? I mean, you don't have to stay in my room, but like?"

Keiran perked, tense. He fiddled with a broken scale in his hands, staring up at Ace with concern. Ace took the cue to come over, sitting himself down beside the dragon, who handed him the chipped plate.

"Uhh... It's your scale, what about it? Are they fallin' out?"

He looked over Keiran's back, the only scaled part visible as he hunched forward into the blanket.

"No. I found it in the other human's nest."

Ace cocked his head, immensely confused until he put together that Keiran must have gone in Marie's room after she left for the tavern. He frowned, though he couldn't be too upset, he hadn't told Keiran he couldn't explore the house, nor that it was unspoken to not really go in each other's rooms without being invited. Trying to figure out how to word it gently, he started by just.. asking.

"...Why did you go in there? We kinda.. don't do that, Keiran. It's.. what's a good word for it, frowned upon?"

Keiran nodded, apologetic for his social misstep, but too distracted to really process it in it's entirety other than the fact that he wouldn't do it again.

"I was.. curious about the last part of the den. After she left, I went in through the bathing room. I.. wasn't going to touch anything, but I smelled something familiar, and.. I found this, under the edge of her bed. ...Where did she get this, Ace?"

Ace was very aware that there was a small accusatory tone to Keiran's voice, but truth be told, he wasn't bothered by it. He would be skeptical, too, in Keiran's shoes.

"I.. honestly have no idea. I know I was pretty thorough cleaning up last night, before she got home. If you want me to, I'll ask her, okay?"

Keiran hesitated. No one had come in the room while he was there, he would have woken up, so surely the other human hadn't seen him - and he hadn't heard Ace talk about him, either. He was unsure, but he still.. wanted to trust him. So he would.

"...Okay. ...How will she not know I went in her room?"

He looked down at the scale, hard and uneasy. Ace was honestly surprised he wasn't freaking out, with how upset he'd been at Ace initially for daring to know he existed.

"...I'll bite the bullet and say I went in to clean up, surprise her. It'll be okay."

Ace was satisfied with his solution, and though Keiran nodded in silent acceptance, his drooped ears and curled wings told Ace he was less than reassured. He set a hand gently on Keiran's shoulder, softening his features when the dragon turned to look at him.

"You're gonna be okay, I promise. I know you don't want her to know. I trust her, but it's up to you to decide that you stay off the radar, and I'll respect that."

Keiran scanned Ace, tongue flicking a few times as if to firmly convince himself of the man's sincerity. After a pause of silence, Keiran looked away. Ace started to frown, concerned and unsure what else he could say, when the dragon shifted weight and leaned into Ace's arm, cheek on his shoulder. Ace froze up, a little pitter in his chest being quickly silenced with a hard swallow. He looked to his friend's face, that looked off distantly at the wall, squinting from the light that peeked through the undrawn curtains - Ace realizing Keiran must have come out despite the bright light and close them - and spoke barely above a whisper.

"Okay. I'll trust you on it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone get out of my way there's one (1) straight couple allowed in this story and it's Iris and William.
> 
> but also.
> 
> :3c Oh Boy. Here We Go.


	11. Forest stargazing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's a tad shorter than previous chapters, I had a bit of a headache working on this one but really didn't want to put it off any longer, so I had a harder time coming up with the right words in a few places.
> 
> CW - sexual mentions

The evening was nothing short of tense from the moment Ace had walked back in the door. He had to hide his concern at Keiran's discovery of one of his broken scales in his sister's room, lest he worry the poor man even more. It honestly stung to see the dragon retreat back into his shell like this, so uneasy and quiet. Ace tried to put on music again, hoping it would get his attention elsewhere, but for once, it was like Keiran couldn't even hear it. When he tried to talk to him, he'd get a flick of the ear at best and a lack of acknowledgement at worst.

After around half an hour of unsuccessful distractions, Ace had an idea. The sun was starting to set, and they still had plenty of time before Marie got home and he had to handle that freshly writhing can of worms. He re-approached the couch, lightly placing a hand on Keiran's shoulder, getting another flick of the ear in response.

"Hey, why don't we put that down for now, starin at it isn't gonna do anythin."

Keiran wrinkled his nose in a small sniffle, eyes still distant. He was lost in childhood stories his mother told him, childhood _warnings_ his mother told him. He wanted to believe he hadn't made a horrible mistake by allowing himself to stay here to recover, that he wasn't doomed from the moment Ace found him. He really wanted to believe Ace hadn't sold him out.

"...Keiran? The lights are on, anybody home?"

Keiran blinked a few times, mention of his name bringing him to attention. He looked up over his shoulder at Ace, who had leaned over beside him, elbow propped on the couch. His smile was soft, his brows loosely furrowed in concern. Keiran felt shoulder muscles reflexively ease at the sight of the familiar human, but re-tense at the resurgence of warnings his mother had practically carved into his soul as a hatchling. He could believe all he wanted, but would that change anything?

"I'm.. a little distracted, is all."

Ace rubbed his thumb over the crown of Keiran's shoulder in an attempt to comfort. Once the dragon seemed to ease up even marginally again, he stood himself back up, flipping through his keys.

"I can see that, sounds like you might need'ta get your mind off this. How's a walk through the woods sound? If your leg is doin' well enough for it, I mean."

Keiran's pupils reflexively flared in interest, earning him a soft snicker from Ace. His hands clutched the scale tightly, claws guarding it like sharp little prison bars. His scales prickled at the thought of leaving the house - he was used to being under the mother moon and starlight regularly, and it was draining to have been left in the dark so much as of late.

"It's sore, but.. I would like that."

Ace smiled, twirling his keys on his finger and retrieving his bag, which he had unpacked during the idle time while Keiran had lost himself in his thoughts. Keiran watched curiously as Ace tucked in a little empty sack, passed by the living room, and disappeared down the basement stairs. Discarding the duvet to the couch, Keiran stood, ignoring the dwindling sting of his leg's protests. By the time he reached the stair railing, Ace returned, bag a little heavier but smile all the brighter. He lifted the strap on his shoulder under his thumb, leaning on the railing when he reached the top of the steps.

"Aight, I'm all ready to go, all's left is getting you ready to go."

Keiran tilted his head, twin tongue prongs peering just past the edge of his lips between his fangs. Ace motioned for him to follow, and strode back towards the bedroom, dragon quickly in tow. When they reached the bedroom, Ace made quick pace to his closet, a door to the left of the bathroom that Keiran hadn't noticed prior, having never seen it open. Ace swung the door open, Keiran wincing at the unoiled hinge creaking at the motion long forgotten. After a quiet apology, Ace began sifting through clothes on hangers as Keiran shook his head as if to clear the noise from his ears.

"What are you doing?" Keiran questioned.

Ace glanced over his shoulder with a smile, selecting an oversized, worn pullover from it's hanger, holding it up to Keiran's small form. The old navy-violet coat looked frayed at the edges, a few loose strings hanging out of their resident seams, but it held it's shape regardless. Big enough to be loose and baggy on Ace, he was confident it should leave room for Keiran to be comfortable, and not have to cram his wings into too snug a space, but if they had to cut into it he wasn't attached enough to the article to be opposed. Keiran looked it over, curious, giving it a small flick of the tongue. It smelled old, but well worn, and was thick with the familiar human's scent. Unbeknownst to him, having been slept in countless younger nights and then eventually stuffed betwixt other outdated clothes, it was probably one of Ace's oldest pieces of clothing, and the most used.

"You got real cold outside last time, and since we'll have to go along the outskirt of town for a minute, I figured ya might wanna cover up. Wanna give it a try?"

Keiran hesitated a moment, but found his body making the choice for him, leaning forward and bringing his hands up to his chest, arms and wings folded neatly. Ace obliged in assisting, bunching up the bottom hem in a fistful of fabric, bringing it down over Keiran's shoulders. Keiran felt something quiver in his chest, and his claws moved to latch onto the passing fabric before it could clear over his head, burying his closed eyes in the coat lining flattened to time and use. If he had sniffed just a little louder, Ace might have heard him.

Ace stopped, letting go of the jacket, only able to assume he might have made too sudden a movement and startled the already on edge dragon. He pulled his hands back, trying to form an apology on his tongue, but stopped short when Keiran finished pulling the hoodie over himself, wriggling his arms in and pulling the hood off his head. Keiran's face was softened, his shoulders loosened, and he swore he heard that soft, low rumble of a purr underneath the thick cushion of fabric. To his expectations, the sleeves were long enough to cover up past his claws, the hood was large enough to cover his horns fairly inconspicuously, and the lower hem came almost to Keiran's knees. It wasn't incredibly obvious something was folded to the dragon's back, especially in the dark, though he wouldn't want to stroll out in public in daylight like this either.

"Ey, it fits better than I thought! Whatcha think of it?"

Keiran was painfully aware of the pleased growl that simmered in his ribcage, refusing his efforts to suppress it. He wasn't entirely sure what got him so interested, it wasn't like he hadn't smelled the human before. He spent plenty of time wrapped up in his heavy blanket, curled up in his nest, in his den, around him. This was just a blanket of a different shape, that fit so softly around his frame, like a moveable nest. He told himself it was the novelty of being tucked up in a nest, despite being on his feet. It was comforting, and he _did_ enjoy the feeling of his body heat being tucked in with him like this.

"It's.. strange, but I don't hate it."

Ace beamed, bringing his fingers to his mouth with a kiss and a flourish, pleasantly relieved that Keiran hadn't rejected it as he'd anticipated he might. Keiran eyed him with ever present curiosity, mind having shifted off his anxieties enough to put them behind him - Keiran didn't notice, but Ace could see the lack of chipped scale trapped in his hands. Ace gave himself the routine pat down to ensure he had all his things on his person before heading back out of his bedroom, Keiran following him through the living room and out the front door, shivering a little at the cooling air that swept in as the sun's last golden rays slowly faded below the horizon line. Ace locked up the house, scanning the area and confirming the coast was so far clear from the backyard down the treeline to the entrance to his little walking trail.

No words needed to be exchanged as Ace stepped off the little patio, Keiran following close on his heels as he followed a muscle memory worn path along the side of the woods, the settling wildlife a familiar chorus to his ears. Keiran curled his tail up around his waist, hidden in the jacket's protective cover, hood tucked over his head to hide his face. He could hardly see around the low hanging cloth, and without it being true darkness. Stumbling over his own feet, Keiran bumped into Ace's back, who stopped walking to turn and ensure his friend was alright, silently offering him a guiding hand. Keiran's head hung low, so Ace couldn't see his expression, but he bit his lip sharply as he took the human's hand, being led carefully to the trail head and off unfamiliar pavements and onto the more comfortable surface of mother earth. His steps were dead silent on the dirt, as opposed to the soft clack of claws on stone. His tail unfurled from the jacket once they were behind the trees, out of easy sight from town, and his balance returned to him, hood being pulled hastily back off his face.

Ace glanced over his shoulder at the curious dragon, eyes wide with attention and tongue investigating the air past half parted lips. His ears were perked high, his posture a little hunched with his tail stretched out behind him, fabric on his back rustling as his wings shifted beneath the pullover. Keiran could clearly see his way around under the shade of the canopy, sun falling quickly, eyes darting around with unbridled curiosity and interest at every little noise and reflection of the light. And yet, he still held Ace's hand.

The two kept quiet as Ace led him down familiar trail, to his favorite willow tree. He gave the tree his routine little pat of greeting before turning to Keiran, lifting the held hand up a bit to get his attention.

"Ey, wanna boost?"

Keiran blinked, looking over the tree. The branches weren't too high, and he was infinitely more confident in his claws' ability to gain him traction on the bark surface compared to the smooth siding of Ace's house up to the roof. He could likely scale it to the very top with little effort, even in his current form. His hand loosened off of Ace's, and his tail scales bristled up, a soft rattle coming off them as he bit through the sting of his leg and leapt up onto the wood, to Ace's immediate surprise. He clambered up above Ace's usual perch hastily, claws sinking into the bark's natural indentations and leaving hardly a mark behind as he hoisted himself up onto a suitable branch, arm wrapped half around the trunk and tail snaked around his chosen perch. Ace nodded to himself in acceptance of Keiran's independence, and pulled himself up onto his usual branch, breathing a comforted sigh of contentment as he relaxed into his preferred environment.

Keiran peered his head out of the parting leaves, a familiar welling sensation bubbling up in his throat at the sight of his beloved mother moon. His wings tried to spread on reflex, though he was reminded of their containment quickly as upper claw threatened to snag soft cloth. For a moment, he was tempted to remove the coat, to free himself to bask in her comforting glory, but as he lifted the collar up to pull over his face, he hesitated. His heart jumped again at a noseful of the familiar smell, and he once again, was unsure why. It made his cheeks feel warm - his skin tickle down his arms, his tail shift more snugly around the branch.

"Hey, how ya doin' up there?"

Ace leaned back against the trunk, smiling up at Keiran with his bag in his lap, arm crossed over the top and fingers tapping along the burlap. Keiran's attention was brought back to focus, and he pulled himself back beneath the leaves, looking down at the human. He swallowed hard, as if to force his heart back down from his throat into his chest where it belonged.

"I'm... well."

Ace peeled back the top of his bag, rifling through and retrieving a glass jar, unscrewing the top and pulling out a stick of dried meat jerky. Keiran's ears perked at the sudden smell, it was familiar and instilled a craving almost instantly on his tongue. He didn't have to ask, Ace already lifting his arm up to offer the dragon a piece, who quickly snatched it up without hesitation, stuffing the end in his mouth. It was seasoned a little funny, compared to what he was more familiar with, but he'd recognize duck meat anywhere. Ace silently observed out of the corner of his eye as Keiran made great effort to savor the treat, a few nibbles at a time, staring back up at the sky through breaks in the willow's sheltering canopy.

"You want some more? I brought plenty."

Ace's mouth was half full of his own piece, held out of the side of his mouth in his crooked smile. Keiran, upon realizing the supply was less limited, made quick work of the last few bites of his first piece, and in a fluid motion wrapped his legs around the branch, releasing his arm's grip and swinging upside down, one hand holding the swiftly wrinkling pullover off his face as it fell past his middle and released his wings, resting under his arms. Ace chuckled, now face to face with the upside-down reptile, and held a piece up to his mouth, which he quickly accepted with a soft bite.

"Hey, Keiran?"

Keiran used his tongue to wrap outward across the stick, pulling it into his mouth in a fold and making quick work of it.

"Yes?"

Ace held in a laugh as the dragon's mouth parted again, expectantly, and he brought up another stick of jerky.

"Can I ask you something?"

Keiran chomped down the piece just as quickly as the last, ear tips twitching in delight at a familiar enough food starting to fill the void in his stomach.

"I suppose so, what is it?"

Ace's hand slowed as he reached back to the jar, idly snapping a piece of jerky in half to split between the two of them, offering Keiran his portion first.

"When you can fly again, you're going to leave, right?"

Keiran hesitated a little on his next bite, watching the smile falter on Ace's lips, his eyes drifting away to the side. He flicked his tongue and winced a little at what he could only interpret as a sadness.

"I.. need to, yes."

Ace choked back the fluster that rose so swiftly in his chest as the dragon's tongue tickled the tip of his nose.

"Will I.. ever see you again, after that?"

Ace bit softly onto another piece of dried meat, holding it between his teeth as his eyes pushed farther from the dragon's, an awkward feeling he couldn't describe chilling him as his words put the idea into reality.

"...Would you like to?"

Ace's eyes shot back in front of him, and before he could take a bite and clear his mouth to speak, his heart leapt to the back of his tongue in a sudden startled frenzy as Keiran leaned forward, biting onto the other end of the stick and tugging softly, taking a small piece between sharp fangs as delicately as a mother cat holding her kitten by the scruff. Ace's jaw clenched, breaking off his bite, and he fumbled to break a small piece off between his fingers to split apart the jerky into two halves to let Keiran finish his own piece without taking the piece that had resided past his own lips.

"I.. Yeah, if you would too."

Keiran chewed a little more softly, pensively. After a quiet swallow, he flicked his tongue again, an unfamiliar taste creeping up his forks again and shivering through his cheeks, down his neck and into his core. His stomach tensed instinctively at the light creeping throughout it, and his tail tip bristled as scales rose and fell as non-existent fan tried to flare up and gain attention, wings already half spread.

Ace bit his tongue, glancing upward at the sudden tension of the dragon's middle, looking away just as quickly as his eyes trailed exposed midriff, soft subtle curve outlined by the moonlight above. He couldn't help but recall his momentary contact, the night on the roof, how soft his skin felt despite the scratch of scales, he wondered if he was warmer to the touch now, if the scales wouldn't scrape when handled more gently-

Ace swallowed hard, finally realizing where his mind was trailing off to, left unchecked.

"I think.. I might like that."

He was brought back to the moment, much to his relief, turning back to face Keiran, who was hoisting himself back up onto his branch above, giving Ace a moment to loosen his composure and widen his eyes with a palm to his cheek. He knew he found Keiran pretty - but that wasn't where the feeling ended.

Keiran loosened his grip on his branch, no longer needing to support himself against gravity as harshly, and held a hand lightly over his chest, heart still knocking on his ribcage as if to be let free from it's prison. It wasn't like the way he felt when his heart raced in fear, it was softer, but bolder, warmer and hungry for something he couldn't identify. He wasn't sure what caused it, other than maybe whatever that new taste was on Ace, but he doubted he could confirm his theory without raising questions.

"...Hey, Keiran?"

Keiran tilted his head back, looking skyward once more.

"...Yes?"

Ace swallowed awkwardly. He could get this out of the way, easy enough, one question and one unknowing shut-down, and he could nip this right in the bud.

"Dragons just pair up to breed, right?"

Keiran paused, unsure what would bring up the breeding season, but decided to humor the question nonetheless.

"Not exactly. It's to hunt, to nest, to rear a clutch if we can, to hold territory and to keep each other company. Why?"

Ace bit his lip, heart still painfully hopeful against his will and judgement.

"So, like, a guy finds a gal and all? I'm just.. curious, I guess, if it's like how humans are."

Keiran shuffled his wings back under the pullover, his back growing chilled by the night air.

"Not always, some folk don't always find someone they get along well enough with that they can rear a clutch with like that."

Ace's heart threatened to skip a beat, to his dismay. He prayed to whatever higher power was listening from above or below that he would be told what he needed to hear.

"So, like.. Someone's that's infertile?"

Keiran shook his head, unsure how Ace was missing his point.

"I mean, yes, sometimes, but no? Some males just like males better, and some females just.. prefer other females. It's not common, but it isn't unheard of, either. Do humans.. only pair up to breed?"

Ace scratched at his chin, fearing he was digging his own grave.

"No, no, uh.. same goes with us. Some places are.. nicer 'bout it than others, though."

Keiran closed his eyes halfway, enjoying the cool glow of the moonlight soaking into his exposed skin.

"You sound like you know from experience."

Ace felt a pang of familiar fear bite at his ribs, but steadied himself with silent reassurance that Keiran seemed to be unbothered by the idea when discussing it.

"..You could say that. My uh.. hometown wasn't the best on the sorta subject, I guess."

Keiran's ear ticked, nodding in understanding.

"Is this one any better?"

Ace bit his lip, softly this time. Keiran's soft tone was enough to ease his nerves, for the most part, but this was a double edged sword as his hopeful heart pattered for his attention once more.

"Depends on who you're talkin' to, honestly. I kinda.. keep it 'ta myself, usually."

Keiran felt a small, knowing smile lift the corner of his mouth gently in empathy.

"Yeah, me too."

This was exactly what Ace did not want to hear. His heart leapt, though he made every effort to stuff it back down as best he could and play the conversation smoothly.

"Oh? I don't think I know anybody else here that actually.. swings more than the straight way. Have you ever dated a guy?"

Keiran ticked an ear, having to assume based on context that Ace was implying he didn't know many folk who took interest in their own gender, and he assumed 'dated' was like 'courted' given the conversation.

"No, not really. I've never really.. felt the pull to court anyone before. Have you?"

Ace ignored his hopeful heart to the best of his abilities, tuning out it's joys at the thought that his attraction might not have to be the end of the progression.

"Once or twice, when I was way younger, so I dunno if it counts. I guess I've hooked up more than I've really gotten invested, but I swing whatever way. Gals are cute, too."

Keiran's wings shifted under the coat, gradually settling to a more comfortable resting position.

"Hooked up?"

Ace's cheeks dusted with a warmth he rarely had to handle. The subject never really bothered him, as long as he wasn't being asked by Marie - it felt far too awkward discussing it with his sister.

"Ah... Ya know, when you uh.."

Keiran paused his basking to peer down at Ace quizzically, who was shrugging his shoulders and awkwardly making loose gestures that he couldn't quite piece together out of the unfamiliar body language. When Ace saw his message wasn't getting across, he placed fingers to his forehead, sighing a little.

"It's.. another way to say.. mate, I guess?"

Keiran felt a hot, angry flush he couldn't place the reason for.

"Oh, so you've mated before."

Ace shielded his eyes from wandering upwards with his hand over his forehead, idly scratching the back of his neck.

"Uh... It's kinda weird to ask so directly, but.. Yes?"

Keiran's chest bubbled with a jealousy he didn't understand. He had nothing to be jealous of, nothing of his was being threatened with thievery, no one else had something he wanted.

"I.. won't ask anymore, then."

Ace exhaled a small sigh of relief, not sure if he could handle much more of the conversation with how it was going. He had other matters to attend to, such as the backfire that led to his hopes escalating after the realization that he felt an attraction and that the subject of such wasn't against the idea of a partner of the male variety.

"It's all good, ya didn't know. Hey, you still hungry?"

Keiran's blood threatened to boil, still lingering on the idea of Ace courted by an unknown human, mated by unknown humans. He tried to shake the idea out of his head, awkwardly biting his lip in discomfort at his brain's sudden fixation and distaste.

"A bit, but not right now."

Ace ran his fingers through his hair, tucking away the dried meat for the time being and checking his phone for the time. It was late, but not _too_ late, and he had no word from Marie for the time being, and they hadn't been out too long anyways.

"Lemme know if you decide you want anymore, then. I'm gonna.. just kinda chill for a lil, if that's cool."

Keiran swallowed back hard, thick liquid rushing his mouth as his teeth clenched. He was shaking the idea, a little at a time, but it still left him frustrated and with an unpleasant burning in his throat. Was there something he was forgetting, that he was just instinctively defensive about?

"I'm.. going to try to relax for a bit, as well."

The both of them sat in silence, for a while. Ace calmed his overexcited heartbeat, reminding himself that Keiran was open to the idea of other _dragons_. That he was just attracted, nothing more, it wouldn't be the first time he's found someone to have a pretty face and a nice body. He could get past it, easy enough, just give him a day or two. He was lucky enough that Keiran sounded to think of him on decent enough terms to be willing to visit in the future, he had no good reason to push that luck even further than it was already stretched. Besides, what would he even say? _Hey, I think you're pretty, wanna get together? Don't worry about the fact we're a different species, and the fact that you only even know me because I pulled you into my house half dead and you still aren't entirely sure I'm not gonna turn on you._

Keiran steadied his breathing and quelled the harsh rattle of his scales. He silenced his furious huffs into the collar of the borrowed pullover, Ace's smell once again melting his nerves, for better or for worse. He couldn't place what had him so frustrated, Ace being the only thing he could think of - but he didn't want to blame the human for it, he hadn't said or done anything wrong. He was honestly curious about Ace's experiences, having had no such encounters himself. He never got to ask a lot about courtship, having left the nest so early and separating from his family equally prematurely. Eventually, though, he found himself calmed, comfortable in the scent he'd grown to associate with the safest room of the den, and the person that had been trying so hard to treat him kindly.

Eventually, Ace spoke up, after what felt like an eternal silence.

"We should.. probably head back here soon, before Marie gets home?"

Keiran's ears lowered, displeased at the idea of returning home so soon, but did not argue, and cautiously unwound his tail from his perch, allowing him to shift position and climb carefully back down the willow. He passed Ace's parch, hesitating for a half a beat, but did not allow himself to fully stop. When he planted feet on soil, he brushed off the back of the pullover to remove any snags of bark or moss as Ace landed behind him with a soft thud.

"Your leg doing alright?"

Ace took a few steps ahead, past Keiran, stopping to look the dragon over briefly for any outward signs of discomfort or his injury causing pain. Keiran shook his head, tail curling back up into the pullover, his hands resting in the front pocket to clutch at his twisting stomach.

"It's fine."

Ace hesitated at Keiran's tense posture, but decided to pick his battles and accept the answer, walking onward down the trail with Keiran a few steps behind. His stomach was in knots, and he feared it wasn't settling well on his earlier food, but he felt no nausea or queasiness, no telltale salivation to forewarn of sickness. He was left to mull his thoughts in silence as he followed Ace down the trail, holding his head down with hood re-applied over his horns and most of his face. He eventually concluded he must have just stressed himself out somehow earlier with all his frustration, and this was the backlash.

Ace tried not to let himself worry too much about Keiran - he could try to ask him what was up once they got home, it was about time to re-dress his wounds anyhow. It couldn't hurt to make conversation in the meantime. He didn't hear any pained noises, other than the occasional soft grumble, but it was nothing like the previous hisses of pain he'd learned to identify from the first days Keiran stayed in his room. They reached town with no problem, and made their way back towards the house.

Ace stopped short, slamming his arm out in front of Keiran, who bumped into him with a flinch, looking up questioningly at the sudden halt. Ace's brows furrowed, and Keiran could practically hear his heart thud harshly, but deliberately.

"Keiran, you turned off the lights earlier today, right?"

Keiran cocked an ear, wiggling his nose at the silly thought that he _wouldn't_. He couldn't see a thing with the infernal things alight, it left him stumbling just as bad as Ace in the pitch black basement.

"Yeah, it's too bright with them on."

Ace swallowed uncomfortably.

"And I didn't turn them on, after that."

Keiran's brow tensed, tongue flicking as Ace failed to make his point clear.

"No, you left them off."

Ace lifted his hand, pointing to the house. Keiran reached up to adjust the hood of his borrowed coat, looking at the house for answers. His ears fell as he realized the implications of the sight before him.

The lights in the house were on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3c
> 
> No rest for the homo.


	12. Intruder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW - semi descriptive violence, absolute disastrous lack of medical understanding but he's doing his best

Keiran attempted to take a step forward, but Ace held his arm steady, blocking him from advancing. Ace lifted his phone, hesitating at the time. It was still early, they should have had another hour, but apparently Marie was home early, and what previously would have been a welcome surprise in his evening was now a wrench in his plans. He scanned the house from their distance, the curtains were still closed though it was to be expected at this hour. He could get Keiran in through the window, but he would have to go through the front door first and get to his room, and then do so quietly enough to avoid suspicion. He would need some time to get through the basic pleasantries with Marie before he could excuse himself to his room, possibly to say he needed to change clothes? He could get away with that, if he was fast enough, but Keiran would have to be waiting nearby. It would take a little coordination, but it could work.

"Okay, here's the plan. Think ya can lay low just past the treeline out back until I wave you over from my window?"

Keiran paused, glancing at the brush and bushes behind the human's home, nodding in agreement upon determining there weren't brambles on this side of the river to deter him from crawling in. It wouldn't be the most comfortable, but it wasn't too hard to conclude it was likely the only way to get back inside without confrontation or being seen. Upon agreement, Ace made his way to the front door as Keiran slunk into the underbrush at a surprising pace and with a fluidity of movement Ace had to remind himself was likely his normal, and a sign that he was healing. With a small smile at the thought, Ace pushed his key into the front lock and twisted.

He cocked his head, twisting the key once more, to no sound. He turned it back opposite, the door clicking locked, and then once more to unlock. He would likely be caught up in the living room longer than previously anticipated, if Marie had a night rough enough to be sent home early _and_ have forgotten to lock the door. She only ever forgot if she was drunk, but she saved that for the worst of evenings. He silently apologized to an unhearing Keiran for the inevitable delay, hoping he would be alright waiting, and swung the door open.

"Hey, Marie, you're home early-"

Keiran couldn't see Ace enter the house from his angle, but he could hear the door open, Ace greet his denmate, and the door shut with a startling slam. At that point, with the building sealed off, what he could hear was much more muffled at best, causing him to crane his head around the clump of little hazelnut trees with ears perked outward in an attempt to glean whatever information he could. A little disappointed huff puffed out his nose as he found he could only identify the owner of the voice, at best, and couldn't decipher words. Though he only recognized Ace's voice. Not the second one - it was much deeper than what he recalled Marie sounding like, and much more rough. He cursed himself as his tongue failed to detect any intentions, leaving him to try to piece together a discussion with little more than a few sharp noises and tone he could hardly understand, having only somewhat adjusted to Ace's speaking by now.

He made his way a little farther down the tree line, no longer right behind the house, lining him up better to see the side wall that housed Ace's bedroom window and the main room window that sat beside the stairwell to the basement. It was a bit difficult to make out anything through the bright lights and behind the curtain, leaving the dragon to squint and snuffle in frustration. His skin prickled with the cold where the borrowed pullover didn't offer him shelter, and his wings were beginning to feel uncomfortably trapped beneath the fabric, antsily twitching with the desire to spread and stretch out slowly healing membrane.

His focused returned with a skip of his heartbeat, a sudden flash of light in his vision. He recoiled with a quiet hiss and a hand shielding his eyes, ducking for cover as the curtains from the main room window were torn off their rings in a flash of movement and with a sharp cry from the pair of voices. His eyes struggled to adjust, but the instant he could make out a recognizable figure, his scales bristled and a panic rose in his throat. Ace had just been shoved down the stairs, by a human Keiran didn't recognize. Was this Marie? Did it matter if it was Marie or not? They were hooded, much like himself, but he could identify the posture of someone carrying a sharp weapon easily enough, and that was all he needed to know to set his claws in motion.

The sharp stab of healing wounds threatening to reopen was ignoreable. Dropped to all fours, tail whipping furiously behind him to accommodate his lousy balance, scales raised and wings pushing under the lower hem of his covering to fold atop the fabric, Keiran bolted the distance between the treeline and the house window in mere seconds. Sharp, thick claws poised, he kicked off his last steps into a leap, horns meeting glass to shatter the window and crash through the thin framing of panels. Claws quickly outstretched to pounce, he barreled into the unknown human, adrenaline leading his actions and numbing his brain of all fear despite the furious outcry from the man beneath him being slammed into the floor, narrowly missing the coffee table and television.

"What the everloving HELL-"

The man's words were cut short as eyes widened, fight or flight kicking in as a last ditch effort to self preserve against the monstrosity that had him pinned to the ground. Keiran's hood had fallen back in the crash through the window, wings now flared as further intimidation paired with his rattling scales and most threateningly, bared fangs. Two especially prominent canines poised, ready for the assumed kill, the dragon let out a hollow, deep growl that clambered forth from his pounding ribcage and promised dismemberment at the kindest. His snarls were knocked from him with his breath as the man's knee slid up and shoved hard up into his still healing chest, knocking Keiran back off the man with a wheeze, leaving him scrambling to his hands and feet, back arched and pupils slit with a raspy hiss at the top of the stairs as the man jumped to his own feet, hunting knife pointed directly at the dragon.

Keiran's chest heaved, though adrenaline was still enough to keep him from worrying about any discomfort from harassed wounds. This was absolutely not the Marie that Ace spoke of, they smelled nothing like the other human's den. They smelled of blood and fire, the fear of dying prey and a predatory, sadistic thrill. He glanced down the stairs to look for Ace, seeing nothing but a trail of spattered blood and a closed door. That momentary break in focus was enough to leave an unfortunate opening, the intruder plunging their knife, narrowly missing the intended target of his neck and landing square in his risen shoulder. The dragon's unearthly screech of sharp pain shook the man to his core, frightening him enough to lose his grip as Keiran wrenched his shoulder back, knife still lodged in the wound, blood wasting no time in rushing to the surface and down to pool on the floor at his feet. The man took a small step back, now unarmed, as Keiran rose to his feet, wings spread alongside his bared teeth. His leg begged to buckle, his leg wound having torn open again in a few small punctures, the white cloth surrounding the bandage showing speckles of soaked through blood, but he ignored it in favor of croaking out two crackled, low words.

_"Get out."_

The man felt shivers up his spine as he took a half step back, looking the demonic creature over, in utter disbelief that it had just spoken. Keiran's ears flattened, eyes alight with a feral fury, grabbing onto the stairwell railing with a white-knuckled fist to hold himself steady.

_"I said GET OUT."_

His voice rattled with a deep echo in his chest, nose flaring slightly in a challenging huff as the man seemed to size him up momentarily, a final snarl enough to set fear back in the intruder's eyes and send them packing, rushing out the front door and not bothering to close it behind them. Keiran gripped the railing tighter, his adrenaline trying to leave him just as swiftly and threatening to bring his consciousness with it as blood continued to leave his body. He turned to look down the stairs, gritting his teeth and dragging himself down the steps as he leaned to the wall for support. He grabbed the knob, trying to turn it as he'd seen Ace do so many times, to no avail - it held firm against his attempts. He switched hands, hoping he would have better grip on his uninjured side, but it still refused to budge. His lips formed a frown, vision threatening to fade further as the drive to fight left his system, and he gripped the handle considerably harder, claws digging indents into yielding metal but still unyielding lock.

"Take whatever ya want, but for christ's sake, ain't you had enougha me?!"

Ace's voice was forced, it sounded tense, enough to freeze Keiran's muscles and give him another dose of adrenaline. His grip on the door remained, if only to hold him steady. His tongue flicked, though drowned in the taste of copper and flesh in the air. He couldn't tell for sure how much of it was his own, but he was painfully aware it didn't source from himself exclusively.

"Ace? Are you.. Are you hurt?"

His voice was considerably weaker as his need to intimidate had been resolved, spare hand leaned on the door to support his ever weakening balance.

"K-.. Keiran?! What's going on out there, are you okay?!"

Ace sounded utterly frantic, Keiran feeling the weight of the door shift as the human leaned onto it, grabbing the doorknob himself to still no avail.

"I'm.. I'm fine, he's gone."

Keiran felt his own tension edge ease as Ace breathed a heavy sigh of relief, hand sliding down the wooden door. Keiran's own claws trailed down loosely, faint needlepoint scratches left in the paint behind them. He was growing dizzy, his thoughts still clouded from instincts overtaking him, and the only thing left on his mind was ensuring Ace was going to be alright, that the intruder hadn't hurt him irreparably. Once he knew that, he could crash, recover, and process what happened later.

"You.. You need'ta get outta here, and fast. Son of a.. I'll.. I'll have to meet up with you later, people are... on their way to help."

Keiran took a sharp breath, trying to process things as best he could in the moment. The world was already starting to spin. _People coming, have to leave._ He took a small step up the first stair, but stopped short, ear twitching at Ace's harsh breathing. Pained breathing. His first instinct was to just crash through the door like he did the window, but he didn't have the energy left in him for it, and another twitch of the ear alerted him to the distant sound of fast approaching steps. He didn't have time, he had to trust they would take care of his human.

He mustered all his strength, dragging himself up the stairs, the blood finally slowing at his arm, knife still aching beside bone. He didn't have the strength to climb back out the window, through the broken glass, and he took thanks that his own calloused feet were tough enough to not have to worry about the tiniest pieces as he pulled himself along, to the one safe retreat he could think of in that hazy daze.

He swung Ace's door open, grasping the doorframe for support and barely managing to shut it behind him before hearing more distinct voices approach the front door. He could only pray they hadn't seen him. Brain foggy, dizzy, limbs shaky and breath shallow, he was left to function on the most base instincts his brain could muster. Hurt. Cornered. Hide. Silent.

He shuffled towards the bed, nearly collapsing as he brought himself down to his knees, heavily favoring his freshly injured arm, crawling underneath the place he'd grown to associate with his safety, and nestling himself up by the wall and behind the shelter of large duvet draped down to the floor. His vision blurred harshly, but he held his focus, just enough to listen, just enough to smell and stay awake. He could tend to his arm later, when he could handle the bleeding from removing the weapon. It would have to be alright for the short term. He could feel the footsteps of multiple people in the living room, hear a pair of more familiar steps rushing down the basement stairs, the sound of the door being clicked unlocked and opened. He could hear Marie, though he could mostly only make out Ace's name from her words. Unfamiliar voices, he could only say two for sure, seemed to be going back and forth with the two residents of the den, but he couldn't place most of it as his hearing fuzzed over.

He clenched his jaw, fighting to hold focus. He heard doors opening, Ace's room last, and the voices became much louder without the barrier between them. He withheld a hiss and all but held his breath as the light flicked on, as he could just make out the steps of Marie making her way across the room. He tensed harshly at the sound of steps stopping beside the bed, bracing for discovery, a fight he didn't have the energy for.

"Good _lord_ Ace, sit down.."

Weight pressed into the bed above him, though thankfully he had just enough room to not be squashed by the frame bowing slightly. He put immense effort and focus into keeping his breathing slow, quiet, undetectable - just like the moment in a hunt before the pounce, when your survival all but depends on your silence.

"I'm.. I'm fine, honest. I'm more bruised than anythin'."

Ace sat himself on his bed, unable to shake the feeling they weren't alone as Marie rushed to the bathroom to retrieve the little bits of first aid he had left behind to patch up the small lacerations to his wrist and hand. They looked worse than they felt, the result of reflex trying to snatch the blade end of a knife. What hurt more were the bruises from thrown blows and having hit the stone floor of the basement with the full force of his weight tumbling down the stairs. He was immensely thankful he'd been able to find the light and not been left in the dark void for more than a moment, though the fact that the door automatically locked whenever it was closed was less than pleasant for him to handle considering his keys had been snatched clean out of his hands the instant he made it in the door.

He'd been caught off guard, hesitating, and that could have cost him much worse. But he supposed he would be alright, especially once he knew Keiran was alright - what the everloving hell was that dragon doing, anyways?! He was supposed to wait for a signal, but given the scene, he could only assume the madman came in through the window and chased the intruder off. They saw him, for sure. The thought chilled him with concern, but he tried to reassure himself - what could they do about it? Tell the sheriff that they were attacked by a demon while breaking into a house and assaulting the resident? He at least had grounds to argue they were absolutely off their rocker if they tried, considering the situation.

Marie approached to dote over his wounds, cleaning the slice in his palm and down the back of his already scarred wrist. She looked nothing short of frazzled, having had to abandon the tavern with no notice and rush over. Thankfully, she rarely had to close alone, and this was not one of those exceptions, and had it not been an emergency she would have felt awful abandoning her coworker to close by themselves. Wrapping up his wounds, she held his hand gently around the wound, looking his arm over. Now, between his own self inflicted injuries, the battle scars and trophies of the past, and the fresh wounds, his left was all but incapacitated.

"I'm just.. glad you're okay. What did he even want?"

Ace carefully rolled his shoulder with a few small pops as Marie sat beside him on the foot of his bed. They both glanced out the bedroom doorway as the sheriff and deputy scanned the living room, having cleared Marie's room and the bathroom already and taken confirmation from the siblings that Ace's room was just as clear.

"He sounded like a lunatic, honestly. Said we were hidin' somethin' from 'im, but I didn't get a lot of specifics between the black eye and the bruised ribs and gettin locked in the basement. First thing I did when my hands were free was call you."

Marie tensed visibly, but nodded, softly leaning on Ace's good arm to reassure herself he was still present, and he was alright. Ace reciprocated the contact, patting her back lightly to comfort her. He chuckled a little to himself, funny that he was the one attacked but he still found himself giving out the comfort and reassurance. It didn't bother him, he wasn't too shook up, to his own surprise. He could only imagine how stressed he would be if Marie had called him in similar circumstance, only able to say someone had broken in and she needed his help before the basement strangled the signal to the point of being cut off. He would have lost his mind.

"I.. see. And you said.. he had a hunting knife?"

Ace nodded, gesturing the rough length of the blade and handle, commenting it was roughly the size of her own. She seemed deep in thought, fingers curled over her mouth, and after a moment, stood up and patted Ace gently on the shoulder.

"Alright, I'm gonna go talk to the sheriff, you gonna be alright by yourself tonight, after all that..?"

Ace flashed a smile, and a somewhat shaky thumbs up, last traces of adrenaline still leaving him. Marie assured him that if he changed his mind, she would be only a couple doors away, and shut the door behind herself as she left him to have his peace. A heavy sigh poured out of his lungs, and he fell back onto his bed with a thwump and a squeak.

A squeak? His bed never squeaked. He stilled, listening carefully and jostled himself to repeat the motion, wondering if his mattress or bed frame finally developed a creak, and was met with another squeak - a half breath. He slowed, carefully sitting up and swinging his feet over the edge of the bed, playing off his motion as a trip to the restroom. As the door shut behind him, he took a moment to pause. Should he get Marie to come in and check under his bed with him? Something was almost definitely down there. But what if..

He made his way back to the room after splashing his face with water to buy time and play along with his mini narrative, cautiously taking hold of his knife from it's sheath as he approached the bed. He hadn't had time to grab it before, but he wouldn't walk into a potential situation unarmed again. As he dropped to the floor, about an arm's reach from the bed, he steeled himself as he lifted the edge of the duvet.

Keiran flinched at the light, a small whine escaping his throat with his weakening willpower making it harder to steady his breathing and hold consciousness. Ace dropped his knife the instant recognition crossed him, tossing it out of the way against the wall and approaching the bed, voice tilted with concern at the sight of the dragon curled up in the shadows.

"Keiran?! What the.. What are you doing down there? Holy- what the hell happened to your shoulder?!"

Keiran huffed faintly, too woozy to bother not accepting Ace's outstretched hand and be helped out from under the bed. Ace's stomach turned at the sight of the weapon still embedded in flesh, and he swallowed back a gag. It didn't look too deep, thankfully, not going deep enough for the toothed back to have reached flesh. All Ace knew for sure was you're never supposed to pull the knife out, but obviously he couldn't just _leave_ it in, so he was going to have to do the best he could to remove it carefully and tend to it quickly. He sat Keiran carefully up against the side of the bed, steadying him and reaching for his stashed aid supplies.

"It's not.. too bad.."

Ace couldn't help but roll his eyes as he ripped fabric back away from the knife, applying some of the numbing cream to the area around the wound, hoping it would dull the pain of removal, and bit his tongue, fearful of making even one wrong move. He made a quick descision, pulling his shirt off over his head and twisting it up, shoving it in Keiran's hand, who barely could lift his head to give him a questioning head tilt.

"Bite that. This is gonna hurt."

Keiran's tongue flicked loosely, though more on reflex than with intent to actually get a read on the situation. He could tell Ace seemed serious, but other than that? His head was in too much of a spinny daze to gather a lot of information, and just did as he was told, awkwardly placing the wadded up fabric between his jaws and whining softly at the near overwhelming taste of the familiar smell. Ace didn't seem to notice, apologizing quietly in assumption that the dragon was merely in pain. He grit his teeth, knowing he was entirely unsure what he was doing but he had little choice but to try and, and pulled the knife out.

Keiran's jaw clenched immediately, a sharp cry muffled by bunched fabric. Ace set the knife aside, immediately applying pressure and pushing layers of gauze down to slow the bleeding. He wished desperately that he'd had some superglue or a needle and thread on hand, but he was unfortunately short supplied. Keiran's body shook, eyes wide, and fist balled in the carpet, scales rising and falling with each quick breath. Ace held firm, putting his other hand on Keiran's fist, bringing his attention to meet the human's eyes.

"Hey, look at me, breathe with me. In, out.. In, out.."

Keiran's breathing hardly adjusted, but he made the best effort he could, jolted awake by the sudden pain and heat flooding his shoulder. Staring at Ace gave him something to focus on, something to distract him, even marginally, as blood pooled under the human's hand and slowly soaked into the padding. Ace carefully removed his hand from Keiran's fist, preparing to wrap the wound tight and hold the padding down, relieved that the bleeding hadn't picked up too quickly and seemed under control. Once he got it wrapped, he gently put a hand to Keiran's cheek, lifting his head up to regain his attention.

"You're okay, ya hear me? You're okay. Keep breathin', let's get you on the bed."

Keiran's body shook, his vision remained blurred at the edges, but he held focus on Ace's face. Ace sat with him on the floor for a moment, before Keiran finally released the shirt from his jaws, two notable holes pricked by his prominent fangs, splotched faintly with a tangy pair of matching wet patches. Once Keiran's eyes showed a little more clarity, Ace carefully brought his arm under Keiran's good shoulder, other hand just under his ribs to help lift him. Keiran's heart threatened to burst from his chest, adrenaline keeping him just barely conscious enough to fall forward into Ace's arms, hand clutching at bare skin as his claws trembled on uncovered back. Ace cursed himself, swallowing back a whine far misplaced in the current situation, and lifted Keiran to his feet, carrying the vast majority of his body weight as he eased him back onto the bed, helping him lie down on his uninjured side and covering him with the blanket to help him retain heat. He was by no means an expert, but he could only assume the dragon was in some form of shock still, and he vaguely knew you were supposed to put a blanket over folks in such circumstance. He hoped he was correct.

Exhaustion was setting in fast, but he at least knew where Keiran was now, though unfortunately it came with injury - fortunately not left to treat by himself, or worse, die from it. Ace's feet tried to carry him to his chair on routine reflex, stopping only at the sound of a feeble whine from Keiran. He turned to look over his shoulder, finding the dragon shakily lifting his hand and making a small grasping motion in Ace's direction.

"You okay, buddy..? I mean, obviously no, but.."

Keiran could muster few thoughts. He was injured, weak, and honestly, he was afraid. But this nest, this human - meant safety. They brought recovery from wounds. And while he was in much worse state when Ace found him, he was still nowhere near fully healed, and this injury was fresh. He made the grasping motion again, swallowing back the prickles of a dry throat.

"Need you."

Ace hesitated, his heart catching on Keiran's words, and shoved it back down. Now was not the time, and this was not the context he quietly craved such confessions in. He walked back to the bedside, kneeling a little to meet Keiran's eyes.

"Whatcha need from me..? You think you're gonna be alright?"

Keiran blinked slowly, vision turning further soft, grasp meeting a lock of Ace's hair.

"Stay with me."

Ace choked on his breath a little, fighting off the urge to lean his face into Keiran's hand, so close to his cheek.

"I was just gonna go to my chair, I wasn't gonna.."

Keiran barely tightened his grasp for a moment, before losing grip, hand falling down half limp.

" _Here_ with me."

Ace blinked, processing the request, glancing at the bed for confirmation and receiving a small flick of the tongue in response. He hesitated a moment, searching for an explanation as to why that may not be the best action, but stopped himself at the sound of a small, pained whine from the dragon.

"Please."

Well, damnit. Ace bit his tongue and sighed, nodding in understanding and bringing himself around the other side of the bed, laying himself down at the very edge, facing the dragon with concern, still feeling the need to monitor him after such an event. He felt awkward, but it was an extreme circumstance, and he had already told himself earlier he had no problem providing the comfort after the night's "festivities". It would take him a while to fall asleep, but he supposed he could manage.

Keiran felt the weight sink into the bed behind him, and with it, half his worries sank off his chest. _I'll be okay. I'm hurt, but to protect my human. He's okay, and as will I be._

The dragon gently nudged himself backwards on the bed, lightly brushing the fabric of the still borrowed hoodie against Ace's exposed skin, causing warmth to rise in the human's chest and dust his cheeks. He kept an arm under his pillow, but with the way Keiran moved, it left the dragon's head atop his wrist and while their bodies were by no means close, it left a tail against his leg, idly wrapping around his ankle at the end. He was left with little place to rest his other arm, but nonetheless, kept it to himself, awkwardly pressed up to his own chest as Keiran's breathing steadied gradually, the shaky hyperventilation slowly replaced by a calm, quiet rumble.

Keiran was half asleep, his brain a little less woozy and his stomach a little less queasy as he nestled closer to his pillar of safety. _His_ pillar of safety. His body moved before his mind, only because _his_ companion was in danger, consequences be damned. He felt safe because _his_ companion was here with him. He was going to heal, because _his_ companion was taking care of him. Keiran shifted his back a little closer, wings now gently pressed to Ace's chest with beaded fabric between them.

"Ah.. Keiran?"

Ace wasn't being pushed off the bed at all, but he certainly had little room left to do much but cup his body behind the dragon's. He pulled his hips back a little, reflexively pulling a thigh a little upwards and unintentionally cradling the back of Keiran's leg in the process.

"Mm?"

Keiran was comfortable here. It had been quite some time since he shared a nest with someone he was comfortable with, namely his nestmates and his mother. It was a comfort, to stay close to those you knew would protect you, and to mutually protect them as well.

"You're.. ah... you okay?"

Keiran gave but a soft purr in response, tilting his head back a bit and brushing Ace's chin with one of his horns.

"I am, with you."

Ace hesitated, though the flush that rose to his cheeks and the patter of his heart took control of him for just a moment, his arm carefully draping over the dragon's side and resting his hand in front of his chest, which was quickly pulled in for contact by Keiran's free hand. All the hurt aside, he had little to fear, in that foggy moment. Whatever happened, he had someone to watch his back, for the first time in years.

Yes, this was okay. He was safe here, with _his_ human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM NOT A DOCTOR and google is not very helpful when i'm like "how do you remove a knife from a wound" it's like "Uh Don't" and i'm like i KNOW but like FOR PURPOSES????
> 
> local dragon: not consciously aware of his homo, but increasingly consciously aware of his at least platonic comfort


	13. Leaving home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is high key a little bit of a filler/progression chapter but I snuck a little fluff in, As A Treat. I'm very tired and it's horridly too warm in this house and I'm about to go feral. This chapter is the product of broken sleep and fever dreams disrupting my ability to use brain cells.

Marie paced the front wall of her bedroom. Ace was okay, she kept telling herself, he was okay and minimally harmed, it went much less horribly than it could have, if her guess as to what happened was correct. He was lucky the fall down the stairs didn't do worse, and he was lucky the cut to his palm was shallow and his wrist was hit on the back, not the underside. He was so, incredibly lucky. He was always one to have somewhat extreme luck in situations, though moreso things with low odds than just strictly favorable, for better or for worse. Something still didn't add up, though.

Once the house had been cleared, the sheriff and deputy had assured her they'd be on the lookout, and being a small town, no one could hide forever. She had feigned belief and let them be on their way, knowing far too well that they were blissfully unaware. After she'd spoken with Ace, she had little reason to not believe the intruder was one of her fellow hunters. It all added up too nicely, and yet with just enough blanks to leave her wondering. She'd swept up the broken glass and splinters of wood from the windowframe, and resigned to trying to clean up the blood in the morning. She didn't have the energy to handle it right then, she just wanted to get the open window closed up and secure the house as best she could and go to bed. She silently thanked her and Ace's tendency to hoard extra supplies in the basement, and braved her own fears to retrieve some boards, nails, and tools, blocking off enough of the window to keep anything larger than a mouse out without having to expend audible effort. It would have to do for the night, and they'd work something better out later.

But there sure was a lot of blood. More than what would have come from Ace's injury. And he had specifically said he hadn't had a chance to really fight back at the time, his knife hadn't left his hip. And he said they were in the house, front door unlocked when he got home from his walk. His keys - they didn't get his keys back, they'd need to change the locks, for whatever it was worth, she'd have to shove something in front of the door for the night to offer herself some comfort - why would they come through the window, and then leave the door unlocked? And the basement door. When she'd gone downstairs to get supplies, the knob was just shy of half crushed, hollow metal having stood no chance against whatever gripped it, more than what anyone she knew should be strong enough to do. But most of all what caught her attention was the scratches down the door. She almost missed them, tiny and faint, but they were there. She hadn't the faintest why a hunter would half crush the doorknob and scratch the door, especially considering they'd taken the very keys they'd need to open it. It just didn't add up, the pieces didn't fit together.

She plopped herself on her bed, bracing herself to get the phone call with her boss out of the way to explain her early leave and that she - and Ace - were going to need tomorrow off. If the pieces didn't fit together, she'd learned one thing from her family's social habits growing up.

She was missing pieces.

But she'd have to see what she could get out of Ace, if he knew anything else. Have to do her own sleuthing, have to do her own.. persuading. She could care less about the assigned hunt now, there was personal business to attend to. The phone call went as she expected - she apologized for her sudden departure, paired with her explanation of their home being broken into and her brother being attacked. Assurances no one was gravely injured were made, her boss insisted they just stay home through the end of their planned vacation, to give them time to at least sort things out and know they were safe. She was surprised, but was by no means going to reject the kind offer, giving her honest thanks and wishing him well, and that she looked forward to when life would regain some normalcy and the siblings would be able to return. It was better than expected, actually.

She got up, unable to let herself rest. She felt too vigilant, too alert, adrenaline on edge and ready to go the instant she were to hear even the slightest unusual noise or implication the intruder had returned. She'd be ready, knife on her hip and superior knowledge of the environment in the house, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be absolutely scared. She kept a hand on the handle as she left her room, scanning the living room briefly. Lights still on, just in case. It was eerily quiet, but she supposed it was better that way, she'd hear anything and anyone coming. She crossed the hall, knocking on Ace's door.

"Ace? Are you still awake?"

Ace froze. Keiran had drifted off with little trouble, curled up in his partial embrace. He hadn't been able to fall asleep, too concerned about his friend's state of health to relax - he knew little about injuries and shock, and he was honestly afraid something would happen in the dragon's sleep. He could stay quiet and wait for Marie to assume his state of slumber, and she would surely leave him be.. unless it was an emergency, or she was a complete wreck. He didn't want to leave her to her own emotional devices, either, Keiran's possible discovery aside. So he made the one choice he could.

"Yeah, gimme one second."

He carefully slid his arm out from under Keiran's head, apologizing silently to him as a quiet whine left sleeping throat. He tucked the duvet in carefully at Keiran's back, quietly promising he would return. Keiran had asked little of him directly, thus far, so the request to be kept company carried a lot of weight to him. He pulled the covers up a bit, leaving Keiran hardly visible aside from the unrefined shape of the blanket. When he cracked open his bedroom door, Marie breathed a small sigh of relief, just glad to not be standing alone in what felt like a suddenly unsafe environment.

"What's goin' on? Everything okay?"

Marie awkwardly rolled her hands over one another, unwilling to admit her own anxiousness, though she knew Ace was observant enough to catch on regardless.

"Can we.. talk for a few? Nothing happened, and I get it if you wanna just call it for the night.."

She made the smallest of leans towards Ace's door, and in a jumpy fret at the thought of her entering his room, he quickly slipped himself out the barely opened door, closing it behind him. Marie flinched, surprised at his sudden reaction, and his lack of a shirt. Brow raised, Ace crossed his arms a little awkwardly over his upper chest at first, settling his arms lower after a moment of recognition.

"Yeah, sure - sorry, uh.. Summer heat, and honestly, what are those hefty doctor bills for if i can't take my shirt off once in a while?"

Ace tried to lighten the mood with a smile, causing Marie to roll her eyes, but he still managed to earn a small smile from her as they entered the living room and sat themselves on the couch, Marie still cautiously eyeing the covered window and the blocked door - the broken, but heavy television set and stand making a decent barricade to at the very least slow down entry. It would be a pain to handle when they wanted to leave, but it would have to do. They sat in quiet for a moment, Marie evidently distracted by her insecure worries, Ace giving her however much time she needed as he tried to run over the events of the night in his head again, to make sure he could keep his story straight. After a few minutes, Marie broke the silence.

"Well, our vacation is extended. I was just askin for tomorrow off, but considering we're gonna be gone starting next week anyways, he said to just take the time we needed and come back after our trip. I'm not sure if you still wanna go camping after this, leaving the house empty."

Ace gave a small sigh of relief, topic starting on something easy enough. He was admittedly worried about how things would go at the tavern, especially with his and Marie's trainees being only one day in, but Delilah learned quick and had gotten the basics, and could surely get the help she needed from someone else at least for a few more days to get her comfortable on her feet. Besides, he figured the actual panic was due to set in anytime now, considering he was honestly riding the denial of any real threat and the distraction of Keiran's injury to stall his own inevitable fear. He probably wouldn't handle going into work well, not knowing what could be waiting for him when he returned home.

"Well, that's awful nice'a him. That'll at least give us time to pull some things back together. Honestly? I'm still down to get outta town for a while, it might help, even after this."

Marie nodded, now craving the escape as a reprieve herself and not to carry out her work. Boss's expectations be damned, if one of his boys was going to break the boundary line like this, he could shove it at least for a little while, she had an excuse. This week was going to be stressful enough, and she now more than ever couldn't shake the feeling that something or someone that didn't belong was hiding in the house with them. Every turn of a corner or open of a door, she half expected to end up face to face with a hunter, armed and dangerous. She cursed herself silently, she was certain someone was trying to get involved to reap the rewards of a task she hadn't even completed yet. She wanted the money, sure, but it meant nothing to her if something happened to Ace, and she would have to make that perfectly clear to the huntmaster. _Call your boys off my case, if you want me to work with you even the slightest._

"I'm gonna get the locks swapped out, tomorrow if I can manage it. I dunno where I'm gonna pull the money from, but I don't think I can sleep knowing they still have your keys."

Ace bit his lip, feeling immediately guilty, though it was by no means his fault his keys were stolen. He hesitated in thought, but decided this was a worthy emergency spend, and got up to return to his room. Marie raised a brow at his silent ascent, but with a smile and a held finger he wordlessly assured her he'd be right back. Keiran was still, thankfully, fast asleep and breathing normally in the bed. Ace worried about whatever glass debris was still stuck to the pullover from the window, having already had to pick a few threatening pieces off his chest, but he couldn't exactly take it off him at the time, and would have to either cut it off him or wait. But bringing a knife next to him while he slept was practically asking for an immense misunderstanding, so that discussion could wait. At the thought, he retrieved his knife from the floor, returning it to it's home on his hip with a relieved pat to the sheath. He slid the top side drawer of his dresser open, removing the contents to the top surface and lifting the false bottom of the drawer, gathering a small, deep ocean blue bag with golden drawstring, and returned his drawer to it's normal state before meeting back up with Marie in the living room. He got her attention and tossed her the bag, receiving a tilted head and silent confusion in response.

"What's this?"

Ace sat himself back down, rolling his wrist to motion for her to open it. Upon doing so, she bit her lip and furrowed her brow in concern.

"It ain't much, but I've been puttin' aside some money for a pinch. I'm hopin' that'll cover the locks."

Marie silently counted the contents, numbers not quite adding up to their usual savings based on the last time he'd mentioned how much he had squirreled away, and how much their normal budget took up.

"Ace, where did you get all this?"

Ace instantly averted his gaze, taking immense interest in the kitchen walls and ceiling off to the side rather than meeting Marie's questioning eyes.

"It's.. nothing, just a little side job."

Marie slowly exhaled through her nose, her worries coming back up to bite her again. She knew he didn't like to talk about it, but especially now, with her own secrets posing them a threat, she couldn't help but want to know what he was up to, if he was safe, if he was in just as much trouble as she was. She hesitantly voiced such concerns, though more carefully worded.

"Ace.. I know you keep it to yourself, and I'm not trying to pry, but.. Whatever it is, can you at least promise me it has nothing to do with the break in? That it's not putting you in danger?"

She thought he was in danger? He broke a smile, snickering to himself, though touched by her concern.

"Oh, easy promise. You know I'm always up to at least a little trouble, but nothin' _actually_ dangerous."

He was incredibly convincing, if only because of his own forgetfulness in that moment that he was hiding a dragon in his bedroom. Marie took it nonetheless, and the two let the conversation drift more comfortably, spending a little time together to quell their nerves. Marie silently planned out the rest of the week to herself, as did Ace, and they eventually retreated to their own rooms, Marie finally comforted enough that she felt it worth trying again to get a little sleep. She was going to need a lot of coffee this next week.

Ace was almost surprised to find Keiran still asleep at his return. He was surely exhausted, though, from his injuries to his no doubt exertion of energy in whatever scuffle led to said injury. He couldn't sleep if he tried right now. Ace settled to sit himself at the foot of the bed, staring off to the covered window and lose himself in his thoughts. He had to worry about taking care of Keiran undetected now, knowing he had no guaranteed blocks of time Marie would be out of the house. He was sure he could figure it out, she was never one to enjoy being cooped up, but the uncertainty made things.. difficult. For now, he would use his restless hours to piece together his plans.

\--------------------

The next week went by faster than expected. Keiran seemed content letting Ace handle his wounds the next day, putting up no fuss, and once finished, handling Ace's upper arm quietly. Ace was surprised to find his earlier wounds were, for the most part, healed to the point of no concern, excluding the few agitated points along his leg and his wings not fully recovered, though what was once tattered shreds was now smoothed off and slowly encroaching back down the frame. Keiran seemed in half a daze still, though coherent enough to hold conversation and handle his basic motor functions. Ace was able to sneak him a solid meal a day at least, plus a little extra just in case he wouldn't have the chance next time Marie was sound enough asleep to not notice him. They re-boarded the window more securely, resigning that they would have to replace it later, got the locks updated and keys swapped out, and Ace did the best he could to lift some of the stains from the carpet by the stairs. It wasn't going to be perfect, but he could at least make it a little better. By the time Sunday evening rolled around, their life had returned to about as normal as it could, given circumstance.

"Tomorrow is.. Monday, isn't it?"

Ace perked his head from his phone, sat comfortably in his chair across from Keiran, who sat upright on his bed, gently tracing claw along tail end, small framing emerged from under scale in a neat row along either side, flexing slightly with the tension and release of muscle.

"Yeah, we're going out to the woods for a couple weeks. I was actually.. gonna ask you about that."

Keiran brushed his tail back aside, the missing scales at least halfway regrown by now, no longer needing any bandaging. His chest wound had healed shallow, especially unbothered, and he had since removed the bandaging for that as well, but remained covered by borrowed pullover, which Ace had failed to retrieve from him to properly clean, due to his shoulder wound being wrapped around the outside of fabric. He wasn't in peak condition, but he seemed to be physically healthier, more comfortable moving around, favoring his leg less than before.

"What were you going to ask?"

Keiran had also grown considerably more comfortable in Ace's presence, he noticed. Though he was sure the daze from the situation should be worn off by now, and he still had a little spitfire if pushed the wrong way, he seemed more patient, more inquisitive, less jumpy. Ace couldn't quite place why, only able to assume that stressful situations bring dragons closer together just as they do for humans. It's easier to trust someone you've survived a dangerous encounter with.

"Do you want to come with us?"

Keiran hesitated, glancing immediately towards Marie's wall, ears ticked downward. Ace gave a reassuring wave, glancing down to his phone between sentences.

"Don't worry, I don't mean she'd have to know. I just thought.. you might like to get outta the house, especially after this week of being cooped up, and I'm not sure leaving you here alone is the best plan, we still dunno what that guy wanted from us or if he'll be back."

Keiran eased his shoulders, shuffling his wings under fabric in an ever present effort to find a comfortable position for them. He had done his best to contain himself and his frustrations throughout the week, but he was well aware of his shortening temper and increasing tensions as time went on left in the small room, company only coming when Ace could escape Marie without raising suspicion and his only moonlight coming from what he could sneak from the window. His metabolism was starting to quicken, and the single meals were becoming less than satisfying, his energy was rising as his body devoted less to stitching his wounds back together, and he was growing horribly, incredibly _bored._ He had nothing to do but sleep, eat, pace, and wait for Ace to return. He had tried to look through some of Ace's books that he kept on the shelf beside his chair, but the best he could do was skim the pictures, unable to understand the actual words, and very few of Ace's books were illustrated, so he ran out of content swiftly. He was going a little stir crazy.

"I would like that. What's your plan?"

Ace smiled, spinning his keys on his finger before unhooking the house key from the ring and tossing it on the bed, in front of Keiran's crossed legs. The dragon eyed it curiously, the faint shine catching his interest as he lifted it to inspect the edges and gathered the taste of metal on the tips of his forks.

"We leave first, you follow a ways behind. You can lock the door behind ya with that, and just give it back when you catch up, once Marie's gone to bed. You'll know where we are, if you need anything, we can hang out a little, you can get some fresh air."

Keiran held the key carefully to his chest, now viewing it as an important step towards freedom from the claustrophobia of a room empty of ways to occupy himself. Ace suggested he tuck it in the pullover pocket, to which he agreed. Ace retrieved the leftover snacks from his bag that he'd set aside after their trip to the willow, and offered them to Keiran as something to tide him over for the day he'd be following the siblings. Keiran accepted, but insisted if he was hungry, he could handle himself out in the woods.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow night, then?"

Ace smiled, thumbs up following shortly thereafter.

"Assuming you know how to track a couple noisy humans through the forest."

Ace's tease all but went over Keiran's head, who took slight offense with a huff and a retaliating tone.

"I could find you if you were a thorn in a straw pile. I'm very familiar with your scent by now."

Ace's cheeks warmed, and he chuckled as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck to keep his idle hands busy.

"I guess so, yeah. I hadn't really thought about it. I hope I don't smell bad or anything."

Keiran rolled his eyes, his nicked pride quickly recovering.

"Of course you don't, you smell nice."

What was an innocent comment to Keiran was an incredibly flustering one to Ace. His cheeks flushed and his heart stuttered with a swift exhale from his nose and aversion of eyes. Keiran's ears perked at the little huff and the jump of heartbeat, flicking his tongue softly. He couldn't entirely place this emotion, still, but something about it sent a shiver up his ribs.

"I.. Uh.. thanks, I mean.."

Ace bit his tongue, containing his stutters and pushing emotion back down. He hadn't had this flare back up all week, but of course, his body had to give him a subtle reminder of his little fit of attraction in the form of the flutters. He cleared his throat, gluing his eyes to his phone as he tried to distract himself well enough to wind down sooner than later, knowing he was going to be up at dawn to take a long, heavy hike.

"I uh.. should try to get some sleep. I'll let you know when we're leaving in the morning, aight?"

Keiran was admittedly disappointed they didn't get to talk longer, but nodded in understanding. He'd been trying to adjust his sleeping schedule to overlap with Ace's a bit more, so he was sure he would be growing restful soon himself, anyways.

\--------------------

When Ace awoke next morning, Keiran was curled up on the floor, asleep beside his chair. He had to awkwardly hop over him to avoid stepping on his tail, silently making his way through getting dressed and retrieving already packed bags with clothes carefully rolled to maximize what little space he had. It was going to be one hell of a hike with all this weight, but it was a good workout, and he didn't have to carry everything alone. Once he gathered his things, he knelt down to nudge Keiran's shoulder, rousing him from slumber. Keiran grumbled at first, but sat himself up with a yawn and a stretch to alleviate cramped spine.

"Mornin' sleepyhead, we're gonna head out in about an hour. I'll sneak some leftovers in the fridge for you before we go, okay?"

Keiran was evidently still half asleep, not quick to rise during daylight hours, but voiced his understanding with a grumble and a light thwap of his tail on the carpet. Ace left him with a smile, and said his temporary goodbyes to his bedroom. Marie was quiet through breakfast, though Ace paid no worry - she was just as much a morning person as Ace was a night owl. Not their natural schedules, and while they were fine to complete tasks or function, socialization took the back burner. They each took their share of the weight to carry - tent, food from their basement stores, sleeping bags rolled tightly, and their own personal items. He finally got a proper sentence out of her as they left the house behind, Marie locking the door and tucking her keys in her pocket, some of her normal enthusiasm returning as her drowsiness faded.

"Hope you're ready for a long walk!"

Keiran waited patiently for the click of the door, and then counted silently. Once he felt satisfied that enough time had passed, he exited the bedroom, posture hunched as he tasted the air and inspected the dark hall. He had only been out of the room without Ace once, and that was during the intrusion, so his senses were perked despite his knowledge nothing should be amiss. He stopped at the back of the couch, looking over the boarded up window. He wished he knew how to repair it himself, knowing he was the one who caused the damage. The carpets were still faintly stained crimson, and he found himself feeling a pang of guilt, knowing it was his own blood. Still, he could do little about it, and moved on. Recalling Ace mentioning the "fridge" - which he had by now asked what was what in the home, having grown bored in the room and latching onto any subject he could to satiate curiosity and keep his brain from turning to mush - he padded to the kitchen and opened the door, hopping back slightly at the chill that rolled out like morning fog. Through shivers, he found promised breakfast, and made quick work of the serving of boiled quail eggs, strips of bacon and shredded potato. He would have preferred to enjoy the meal in peace, but his time was running short to get out of the house and into the cover of the woods, as the sun was peeking into the sky and his vision was going to be awful enough as is.

He stuffed his gifted snacks into pullover pocket and cracked the front door open, carefully scanning the area, noting distant sounds of awakening village and his ever shortening window of opportunity. Door locked behind him, he bolted to the tree line, using the hood of his borrowed coat to shield his eyes, offering him reprieve from the light and allowing him to stand a chance at navigating without stumbling blind. Not to say he could see _well,_ but he could stop himself from running into things, and with his ears and tongue on his side he figured he would be just fine. And if not for his committal of Ace's scent to memory, he would have been horribly wrong, and horribly lost.

The woods here were still unfamiliar, so far out of any territory he'd gotten to begin knowing. He skirted the treeline, far enough back to go unseen by any humans in town, though this did not quell his rising anxiety until he finally found the trail, familiar ashen scent an immense relief to unsteady heartbeat. He knew he was far enough behind to not worry too much about running into them, and he would most certainly hear them long before they'd hear him, so he paid no concern to the small noises his travel kicked up as he wove through unmarked trails, unsnagged fabric from branches and thorns, and at times, hummed quietly to himself, a low trill in his chest acting as self comfort in dulled senses and unfamiliar environment. The scent trail was his lifeline, but thankfully, it didn't cut off anywhere or leave him wandering in circles.

Halfway through the day, he heard voices. To his immense relief, familiar ones, though this was a sign enough for him he needed to slow his pace, lest he be noticed himself. They were deep in the woods now, hours away from town and far off trail and inaccessible by any vehicle. He no longer felt the need to watch his back, only his front, as he followed carefully and half listened in on their conversation. It was idle chat, he gathered, passive complaints of the heat and offers to share water, a vague suggestion that they take a break and have something to eat. Keiran's own stomach growling softly agreed with the idea, so he sat himself perched in a tree a ways off, not within sight but for his sake, within earshot, and nibbled at his provided dried meat rations.

Ace was absolutely exhausted already, but Marie promised they were more than halfway there. He hoped she was being truthful and not just giving him hope, he was going to be too tired to even set up camp at this rate. She gave him a playful punch to the shoulder once they sat down their bags, stretching out their tightened muscles and catching their breath.

"Are you _sure_ we're close? Like, how close. I'm ready to crash here and now."

Marie chuckled, sitting down against the base of a tree, taking a swig off her water bottle and unfolding the cloth wrap that held her sandwich. Ace slumped against the same tree beside her, groaning at sore shoulders and overheating core.

"About another hour, I'd guess. We can take a break, don't pass out."

Ace stuck his tongue out in playful, exhausted defiance, and accepted the water Marie offered without hesitation, trading the bottle back for his own packed lunch. As his breath shallowed to more regular rate, Marie kept her head perked, scanning the area with vague uncertainty. Ace eventually noticed over a hasty bite of sandwich, nudging her arm lightly with his elbow to regain her attention.

"Yo, what's on your mind?"

Marie nibbled her lower lip, scanning once more and holding her breath to listen closely, though nothing unusual caught her attention.

"I just keep getting the feeling we're being followed."

Ace fought hard to not choke on his food, tapping his fist to his chest as he swallowed. He hadn't even noticed, but he was sure Keiran was on their trail, there was no reason for him not to be. He tried to take this as a reassurance his friend was alright, but it still posed a challenge - Marie was always more attentive than he gave her credit for, and he by no means assumed she was dull.

"I dunno, it's not quiet at all out here. If anything we had to worry about was on our tail, wouldn't it be kinda.. silent?"

Marie released her breath, painfully aware this was usually the case - but only _usually._ It wasn't silent around them, which meant the wildlife wasn't too bothered by human presence this far out, and while a predator would bring uneasy quiet, another person likely wouldn't, given that information. She didn't want to freak him out, though, and accepted his suggestion.

"Yeah, you're right. Just.. Keep your eyes and ears peeled with me, just in case?"

Ace gave her a nod, returning to the last bites of his meal as she started picking back up her share of the bags. Once he'd finished up, he rejoined her with a reassuring smile and a bump on the shoulder.

"It's fine, don't worry so much." He gave a warm smile.

She hesitated, glancing over her shoulder, sure something was on their trail, but saw nothing, and kept moving. It was fine, they were fine, and worst came to worst? She was always armed.

Keiran held his breath, frozen in place. He was incredibly, disgustingly lucky. He was ducked deep in a bramble thicket, but through the thorns and leaves, he swore Marie had stared directly at him. He would have to be much, much more careful, he couldn't count on being so lucky next time he slipped up and got too close.


End file.
